Welcoming New Technology
As we move from the Industrial and Information ages (evolution), into the Digital age (revolution), how will we welcome new technology? Will we welcome new technology more than ever due to the tech savvy generations and the requirement to continuously innovate?
Majesco Disruption Model, Majesco – Future Trends: A Seismic Shift Underway. Denis Garth, Glenn Westlake, March 2016
Most of my adult life I have been exposed to new technology, both at work and outside of it. I am part of Generation X, born in the late seventies and witness to the end of the cold war, the growth of computing, developments in space, and the demise of the record industry. I learnt to code on a Dragon 32, which stopped being produced in, a very George Orwell, 1984.
From my experience working within large banks, introducing change was always a challenge. Those with an open mind to the benefits, which a new process or technology could bring, were great to work with. They saw opportunity for their own roles changing for the better, enabling them to develop and contribute to the company in a different way.
Individuals who resisted change the most – driven by fear of losing their job (which is understandable), often found their fears realised. By not seeking to adapt and grow within their new environment and its processes, their chances of remaining employed diminished.
Outside of work, I generally welcome new technology with open arms. And although it was wonderful going into record shops and taking home that physical album that you could lend to friends, downloading music has made it more accessible and cheaper for the consumer.
Do my opinions represent the majority of society? Probably not.
In the last five years, we’ve seen the emergence of many concepts, which applied correctly could be revolutionary in the way go about our daily lives. The emergence of Machine Learning, Augmented Reality, Internet of Things, and the space we work in, Blockchain, all have qualities and drawbacks. Consequently, it would be prudent to carefully introduce these concepts to the masses, in both the corporate and consumer ecosystems.
To bring a piece of realism to this tech defined world we live in, I look to my parents.
It has taken time, but I have them both using iPhones and they are enamoured by their television / video / media set up. This may sound trivial, but it’s this small step mentality to adopting technology which will be the make or break of the concepts mentioned above.
Personally, I do not think I have reached the stage in life where I have not welcomed an advancement in technology, so long as the practical benefits are obvious.
Arguably though, technology is killing some of the social and communicative activities that we as humans should participate in. However, consider this from a corporate/business perspective, is losing the human interaction and with it human error, necessarily a bad thing? Is it more a question of utilizing technology to work with humans, therefore not replacing but improving the roles humans are employed to do?
Additionally, new technology can encourage sinister practices. For example, do crypto-currencies enable value to anonymously be passed around encouraging criminal activities?
There are arguments for and against, and as such there is no simple answer about whether we should or should not welcome new technology.
See the links to articles below that explain the pros and cons of new technology adoption within education, business and society. Please circulate and comment. It would be great to get your opinions, particularly where you think we should be welcoming new innovation.
The pros and cons of using new technology in the classroom - http://www.edudemic.com/technology-pros-cons/
The pros and cons of using new technology in business. - https://techmoran.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-using-brand-new-technology/
The pros and cons of using new technology in society. - https://netivist.org/debate/pros-and-cons-of-technology
It may also be worth watching the TV programme Black Mirror. Food for thought.