<
https://theconversation.com/the-fourth-industrial-revolution-a-seductive-idea-requiring-critical-engagement-184475>
"Narrative frames are fundamental to unifying ideologies. They frame what is
possible and impossible, which ideas can be accepted and which must be
rejected. In her book,
Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics, storyteller and
political analyst Nanjala Nyabola examines the framing of the Fourth Industrial
Revolution narrative in this light.
She argues that it is being used by global elites to deflect from the drivers
of inequality and enable ongoing processes of expropriation, exploitation and
exclusion. During a recent policy dialogue on the Future of Work(ers) she
commented:
The real seduction of this idea is that it’s apolitical. We can talk about
development and progress, without having to grapple with power.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution’s chief ideologue is Karl Schwab, chair of the
World Economic Forum who published an influential book by the same name. In it
he argues that digital innovations are transforming the ways in which people
live, work and relate to one other. These include artificial intelligence and
robotics, quantum cloud computing and block chain technology.
Compared to previous industrial revolutions, he maintains, the Fourth
Industrial Revolution is evolving at an exponential pace, reorganising systems
of production, management and governance in unprecedented ways.
But there is growing critique, particularly from the global South, of this
capital-friendly framing of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Many are
questioning whether it should be considered a revolution at all.
The available evidence suggests that the proliferation of digital technologies
has been highly uneven, driven by an older generation of technological
innovation, and used to reproduce rather than transform unequal social
relations.
We share the view that there is nothing predetermined or linear about what
digital technology is developed, how it is used, and for what end. The
challenge is how to harness digital innovations to improve the conditions of
work and life, while holding capital accountable."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
