POLITICAL
The lack of politicians to use technology for good is one of the greatest failures of modern times.
From Obama to Putin, Xi Jiping to Trump, politicians seem to be able to understand and leverage technology when it suits them be it for votes, invasion of privacy, supporting business allies, war, espionage or simply controlling us, the masses.
But when it comes to using technology to make the world a better place, to address poverty, extinction, climate, racism, sexism, and education and unite us, then they seem to act like senile geriatrics, who find the brave new world of technology all a bit too big, difficult and noisy to manage.
I listened to Tony Blair and William Hague, the most bizarre coupling in a long time, on BBC Radio 4’s Today show yesterday, they have united to produce a paper about politicians’ lack of vision when it comes to tech. Yes, I know...
It was like listening to confused middle-aged parents waking up and realising they need to do something about their out-of-control teenager when he is already in rehab and heading for prison.
The fact a case still needs to be made for more pace, scale and investment in technology blows my mind. The lack of politicians and the media to see how all our lives are now deeply woven into technology with issues from Ukraine to the cost-of-living crisis, climate change to fake news and societal extremes deeply interconnected to technology is frankly tragic. The clue is in the name, the world wide web!
Politicians need to be educated not only in the science of technology but the business of technology and how it impacts our behavior and society. This education then needs to form part of the world's "Global Curriculum" and all our adult learning as we all need to learn about our minds and communities on tech.
Politicians seem to forget not everyone can afford wifi, a phone, tablet or laptop and until everyone has access to affordable wi-fi, and tech tools we will see more and more people having to choose between food, warmth, water or data creating a technological underclass.
Tech is here and does not right now seem to be going anywhere, so in our brave new technology-driven world we must ensure we do not create more poverty, more pain, more struggle and more division and use tech to help people and help the planet.
We can not rely on tech to control tech and we cannot rely on politicians to control tech and though we all can manage our own tech habits we need to find a way to collectively control tech.
#Beinghuman #technology #politics