More than at any time before in history, we are questioning the impact of technology on our lives, society, and even human existence itself. Technology is changing life as we know it at such a breakneck speed that it leaves us reeling from the disruption and need to understand what each new advancement will mean for our future: there is a surfeit of predictions but of course no one knows for certain.
While the term Industry 4.0 did arguably emerge by way of a High-Tech strategy report developed under the aegis of the German Government in 2013, it came into the general parlance only when Professor Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, published his seminal book The Fourth Industrial Revolution in 2016.
In an eye-opening and timely analysis of the world’s two divergent technological paths, the renowned futurist Amy Webb in The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans & Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity charts out the potential scenarios for an Artificial Intelligence future, pitting the United States and China in direct opposition to each other.
Atul Jalan’s book, with the intriguing title Where Will Man Take Us? is a thought-provoking exploration of where technology could take us. It raises the perennial question of, ‘Who’ are ‘We’? And, what makes humans ‘human’, and distinct from machines. It shows how man can degenerate into technology if advances in AI are not regulated.
Browne urges the reader to believe in a better future at the beginning of his work. His lens of looking at engineering and technology allows one to have hope that technology will solve more problems rather than create bigger challenges, and the only determinant is pragmatism. He reiterates that we do not need to fall into binaries of pessimism and optimism, but believe that we can set up institutions which promote accountability and account for consequences.
Which child doesn’t love to play? One of the first memories that came to my mind on seeing the title was about my childhood where I used to play hide-and-seek with my siblings. Games are one of the best mediums to connect with children.