1. One thing that helps
Like Rage Against The Machine said “We gotta take the power back!”.
The evolution of the internet: From its early goal to democratise the distribution of information, to the web 2.0 version we have today- where information is controlled by a small number of gigantic corporates, nothing is as constant as change. In today’s world, data is power and it’s no secret that tech platforms harvest an insane amount of data from us. Is web 3.0 the next evolution, and can we take back our own data?
Web 3.0 will use a technology you have probably heard of: the blockchain. It’s the same system employed by Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies that eliminates the central control point (Facebook, Google, your bank, your lawyer….) and instead lives across many computers that are not owned by a single entity. It’s essentially a decentralised public ledger, hosted by users and secured with contracts that are verifiable by a large number of computers (OK trying to explain this stuff in a sentence is impossible so apologies in advance to those who disagree with my brief summary!).
Why is this one thing that will help? Since you will own your identity you can take it with you. No more login with Facebook/Google/Apple account and the breadcrumb to your life that gives them. No more walled-gardens you need to log into at every turn. No more paying ridiculous bank fees when transferring money or converting currency. And no more paying for Zuckerberg’s next billion with your data.
Sounds great, right? But yes, it’s not all democracy flowers and fun. Empowering the people has its own set of issues but surely we can reach some sort of middle ground here? I feel like we have to.
2. One to be wary of
When we talk about one thing to be wary of, we’d usually talk about how AI can be discriminatory or dangerous. It’s easy to blame artificial intelligence but we might be overlooking the fact that these AI are themselves the product of humans.
AI systems are trained using data sets. The algorithm’s training processes influence how it will work in the real world. The AI will learn and evolve but will still be influenced heavily by the data it is trained on. Generally, the more data, the better. But each country/corporation is different from another in culture, morals, ethics and politics. So each country is free to pursue any direction according to its goals.
More than that, if we are to entrust AI with tasks where lives are on the line, such as flying an aircraft or guiding a missile, we need to be confident that it will do the right thing. But who decides the right thing? Is the AI really making the decisions or is it dependent on the data it was fed and the opinions and biases inherent in it.
When autonomous driving does arrive, how will AI know whether to swerve left to hit the old lady or keep going and hit the pram? These and other scenarios where AI is being deployed should move us to look at the ethics of the people developing them.
3. One to amaze
Electric cars have already proved that in terms of performance, they are on par, or usually even better, than their fuel counterparts. Companies are taking electrification to the skies and Rolls-Royce claims to have smashed not just one, but three world records.
The plane, named Spirit of Innovation, packs a 400kW electric powertrain that is said to be “the most power-dense propulsion battery pack ever assembled in aerospace.” With this engine, it managed to reach a top speed of 555.9 km/hr over 3 kilometers, 213 km/hr faster than the current record. It also climbed 3000 meters in 202 seconds, another world record. As for its third world record, it had a maximum speed of 623 km/hr, making it the fastest all-electric vehicle.
These claims are still up for verification but it’s an exciting beginning nonetheless. More than the performance figures, electric planes open the door for commercial flights that contribute less to climate change. Whilst commercial electric flight is still some time away (and needs larger capacity batteries with a green energy source) electric cars have already proved this future is necessary and inevitable. Also, who wouldn’t want to ride on the world’s fastest electric vehicle?