As we embark on this technological revolution, we must do so responsibly and balance short-term and long-term priorities to add value to global communities.
What we have learned over the past two years of suffering and acclimating our lives through a global pandemic is how interconnected we are as human beings. What happens in one region of the world cannot be isolated. Today, national goals are made possible by companies that are interconnected not only by their physical presence in different countries, but also by technologies. We would be powerless if the nations of the world tried to meet the challenges alone and not together. It is imperative for all of us to share our resources, knowledge and technologies to uplift even the smallest economies. The growing disparities between haves and have-nots are so evident in today’s world that they cannot be ignored. As wealthier countries continue to make huge advances in technology (the rise of telemedicine, remote working and learning environments, drones, 3D printers and autonomous vehicles, etc.), we need to think about how we can share all these innovations with the rest of the world so that developing countries can also benefit and strengthen their economies.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a doctor in the United States provided telemedicine services so that a robotic operation could be performed in a village in Peru, or artificial intelligence (AI) could determine a health diagnosis for a cancer patient in Thailand, or a real one – is time monitoring technology accessible in a hospital in Ethiopia?
Technology is defining new realities for people from different socio-economic backgrounds and cultures, bringing them all to the same pedestal. Thanks to the telecom revolution, now with a smartphone in hand, everyone can access the wealth of information on the Internet. The adoption of emerging technologies such as UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) or drones in the agricultural sector can help create a world without hunger. Drone
farmers with data that helps them regulate crop health, treatment, irrigation, and perform field soil testing and crop damage assessments, which can increase crop yields and reduce expenses .
Today, access to better technologies, resources and expertise enables people to help solve humanitarian problems and create a more sustainable and accessible world for all. Niche digital technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Metaverse, Web 3.0, Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT), and Blockchain can play a big role in bringing people together. For example, the metaverse can create an immersive digital environment that can enable virtual tourism, which, in turn, can reduce carbon footprint. Additionally, technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and the metaverse can also create more job opportunities for people with disabilities.
To ensure that we derive maximum value from technology, government and organizations must formulate a “Good Tech approach” by prioritizing processes over results. The focus should be on designing solutions by leveraging technology rather than just focusing on the problem at hand. As we leap forward in making technology the common denominator, we must be guided by a mindset that leads to sustainable goals – whether it’s tackling climate change, embracing renewable energy solutions or reaching net zero. The goal should be to strike the right balance between people, planet and profits, without compromising on ethics.
The future of technology should be more human, which means that despite all the technological advancements, we will always need human-centered values such as empathy, compassion and a goal-oriented approach to shape, govern and deliver our ambitious growth agendas – after all. the world is one big family.