4IR

4IR

Since declaring independence from the Brits in 1776, the United States has experienced three different industrial revolutions, and now is in the midst of its fourth. With technologies such as the steam engine, the first revolution changed the agrarian society into an industrial one. The second built off this momentum using steel, oil, and electricity to power mass production and mobilize individuals at the household level. The third coincided with the dot-com era as everything shifted from analog technology to digital – bringing a whole new way of achieving globalism. That brings us to 4IR – the time of robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, quantum computing, biotechnology, the Internet of Things, 3D printing, and autonomous vehicles. 4IR consists of even more connectivity among individuals and countries, bringing unimaginable efficiencies. See “Estonia – The Future…?” for one example of how a government can completely transform itself using blockchain technology – a technology that digitally connected all governmental departments and saved them 800+ hours of labor last year alone. 4IR has just begun and will continue transforming the way business and government is conducted, with one common thread positioned for all to gain and lose – the people of this innovation. Steps need to be taken to prepare the work force’s next generation, and it’s going to require significant upskilling, as well as a new look at the type of jobs that will be offered in the future.

 

With these changes come many threats and opportunities to human rights as we know them today. The World Economic Forum does a nice job of capturing this next generation and boiling them down to five specific areas that will be at the forefront of human rights in the future – 1. Data and privacy, Policing and criminal justice, 3. Work and worker’s rights, 4. Inequality, 5. Unrest and conflict. These points coincide with our Viewpoints on this blog’s landing page. Fortunately, the World Economic Forum also provided a positive spin to these technological advances that showcase the opportunities for human rights, keeping values-based leadership top-of-mind. As mentioned in Phoebe’s post, “Governing Our Panoptic State,” it is essential to keep the common good at the core of technological advances. With the nature of rapid development often building off itself, any inherent biases will be difficult to retroactively change. We remain optimistic about the ability of this technology to provide the just, safe, and efficient society that can provide the essential resources for each individual to reach their potential.

Estonia – The Future…?

Estonia – The Future…?

“Europe was, America is, and Asia will be.” This is how people often view progression and where in the world our future lies. Is it possible a small Baltic state could teach the rest of the world a thing or two about the future? Is it possible a country inhabited by less than 1.5 million people who have only been independent of Soviet Russia for 26 years could have a more advanced government than the United States of America? Japan? Yes.

Using a tool called X-Road, developed by Cybernetica, Estonia successfully integrated each aspect of their government on a platform that grants its people access to data on business, permits, licenses, healthcare, etc. that would normally take days or weeks to obtain. X-Road is two-fold – the people save time and convenience by not filling out repetitive paperwork at each stage of their life, and the government saves times by decentralizing information and tapping the necessary departments as needed. Yes, this is blockchain and Estonia has successfully implemented it. With the secure transfer of information from one department to another, 820 years of working time were saved last year alone. Whether it’s giving birth to a new child, voting, filing taxes, or requesting a building permit, there is no limit to the savings and security improvement this sort of technology can provide. Estonia was the first country to have online elections in 2005. They were also the first to have E-residency in 2014. What’s better, Estonia is not stopping. As of June, they are now fully integrated with Finland – the first automatic data exchange relationship between two countries. Along with Estonia and Finland, Aserbaijan, Namibia, and Faroe Islands also use X-Road.

Imagine the convenience this would bring to your day-to-day life. Now, imagine being able to access and share this information everywhere in the world. Visa applications, changes in residency, tax filing, expanding business globally – the list goes on and on. In 2013, Estonia held the world record for most start-ups per person. It takes five minutes to start a firm! It takes us longer to buy a book of stamps at the post office. Some speculate blockchain will remove institutions entirely, but I see it bringing institutions more efficiency. The reality is that these powerful organizations will always find a way to maintain their control, and platforms such as X-Road allow them to maintain such control, while liberating data in a way that benefits both the institutions and the individuals. With more and more emphasis on open source data, governments empower their citizens in a way that maximizes their potential. Regardless of the resistance, this is the way of the future and now that countries such as Estonia have paved the way, more and more pressure will be applied to other governments to follow suit.