Imagining a More Human Life

Autonomous intelligent machines, operating with increasing independence through artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), and the rise of tamper-resistant data systems such as blockchain, which displace the need for traditional registers, record keepers, and even the authorities that sanction them, are rendering a great number of human beings redundant; neither their skills nor much of their labour will be required, and even their creativity risks being overshadowed. A stark example can be seen in today’s conflicts, where drones, precision missiles, and internet-based technologies are reshaping warfare in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, displacing both traditional combatants and the decision-making roles once reserved for human beings. Smarter economies, with their immense corporations of scale and efficiency, will further imperil the people of poorer and less agile nations.

The result is already visible: swelling numbers of individuals are left without meaningful work, struggling to survive without adequate support. This threatens to wreak havoc on social life, and the signs of unrest are writ large in every corner of the world. Left unchecked, these pressures will fuel deepening discontent, destabilise democracies, and create fertile ground for authoritarian regimes, under which human beings inevitably become expendable.

The most critical challenge of our times is to keep human beings relevant. The challenge, and the opportunity, lies in reimagining their roles. With vision and innovation, every individual can be repositioned to contribute more effectively to the common good. What we urgently need are people of imagination and intellect at the helm to guide this transformation, so that technology does not diminish our humanity but opens the way to a more human life.

 
Niraj Kumar Jha