Back to the Future – Emerging Technologies and their Social Implications By Julian Müller-Kaler Artificial Intelligence and other modern technologies are de-
Political forecasting is, of course, a difficult endeavour when
veloping at an exponential pace, and the discussion about their
uncertainty remains a constant companion. But looking at
use as well as their implications for society is shaped by un-
specific factors, learning from the past, and picking out the
certainty. Whether it is the future of work, the collection and
signals from the noise, offers the opportunity to derive the like-
application of data, or new means of surveillance and social
ly direction, if not outcome, of certain events – and trends that
manipulation – AI will most certainly influence every aspect of
are becoming obvious should worry us.
modern life. Change is coming, whether people like it or not, and decision makers are under pressure to prepare for a new
Populist Politics in the Age of Automation
world in the digital age. Globalisation, automation and the transformation from a The Duality of Modern Technologies
production-based to a service-based economy have already shifted the geography of growth in Western societies signif-
Of course, technologies per se are far from evil, and their ad-
icantly. Counties, for example, that voted for Hillary Clinton
vancement will provide humankind with tremendous oppor-
over Donald Trump accounted for nearly three-quarters of the
tunities. But similar to previous industrial revolutions, signifi-
increased economic output of the USA and almost two-thirds
cant challenges will emerge, too. While good governments
of new jobs in the years leading up to the 2016 presidential
might use new software to increase transparency and public
election. This imbalance looks even starker when one consid-
accessibility, facial recognition, as well as other frightening
ers that Clinton won fewer than one sixth of the nation's 3007
surveillance tools, undermine the notion of privacy and civil
counties. Similar economic trends have caused public anger
liberties. Medical breakthroughs might facilitate longevity but
in Germany, France and the United Kingdom, reducing trust in
challenge existing education and pension systems at the same
the problem-solving capacity of government institutions. The
time. And smart robots might make the means of production
development and use of artificial intelligence ( A I ) may put this
and services more efficient, but they will also displace an innu-
process ‘on steroids’, threatening not only the jobs of blue-col-
merable number of trades and professions that were previous-
lar workers, but those of lawyers, bankers and engineers, too.
ly performed by humans.
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