Appropriating Technologies for Humanism, Stability, and Progress

Internet connectivity, knowledge machines, inter-machine communication, and artificial intelligence have fundamentally reshaped human life and social roles, and continue to do so with increasing intensity. Agile and forward-looking political communities will proactively harness these technologies for their collective benefit while redefining human roles to prevent disruptions and instability. This transformation must proceed in two complementary directions: first, by integrating emerging technologies into societal functions without compromising humanism; that is, preserving the centrality of the human being in all arrangements; and second, by reorienting human roles within the new, machine-mediated order. Communities that move early and thoughtfully will lead this transition, while those that react late risk becoming laggards and, ultimately, suffer in the new world.

Niraj Kumar Jha