11.11 How to Manage Our Future: Some Proposals for Immediate Action
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What do we need to do to make the digital age a great success? First of all,
we need to build trustworthy, transparent, open, and participatory information
and communication systems, which are compatible with our cultural values.
For example, it would make sense to establish a citizen web to manage a joint
“Internet of Things” and enable complex self-organizing systems by means of
real-time measurements and feedbacks. I call the intelligent information platform needed for this the “Planetary Nervous System”. This platform could also
fuel a new kind of search engine. To protect privacy, all data collected about
individuals should be saved in a Personal Data Store. Subject to the consent of
the individual in question, this data could be processed in a decentralized way
by third-party trustworthy information brokers, which would allow everyone
to control the use of their potentially sensitive personal data. A micro-payment
system would allow data providers, intellectual property right holders, and innovators to be rewarded for their services. It would also encourage the exploration
of much-needed new intellectual property right paradigms. A pluralistic, usercentric reputation system would promote responsible behavior in the virtual (and
real) world. It would even enable the establishment of a new, multi-dimensional
value exchange system, which would overcome the weaknesses of the current
financial system by providing additional adaptability. A global participatory
platform would empower everyone to contribute data, computer algorithms
and related ratings, and to benefit from the contributions of others (either for
free or for a fee). It would also use next-generation social media to measure,
produce and protect social capital (which encompasses network-based social
attributes such as trust, reputation, and cooperativeness). A job and project
platform would support crowdsourcing, collaboration, and socio-economic cocreation. Altogether, this would build a rapidly growing information and innovation ecosystem, which would unleash the potential of data for business, politics,
science and citizens alike. We could also create a digital mirror world which
would use sophisticated computer simulations to assess the likely risks and
opportunities associated with decisions we might make. Furthermore, digital
assistants and Social Technologies could help us to cope with the diversity of
our world and benefit from it. Finally, Interactive Virtual Worlds, potentially
based on different economic systems, decision-making institutions, and intellectual property rights, would allow us to unleash the full creative potential.
They could also help us to identify suitable institutional settings and interaction
rules for self-organizing systems, before we deploy them in the real world.
10. Build a new educational system that prepares people for the digital age
to come and for creative work. It becomes increasingly clear that most of
our current institutions and jobs will fundamentally change. Much of the work,
which has been performed by people in the past, will be done by computers, algorithms, or robots in the future. This particularly applies to procedural and rulebased work. Hence, many people will have to find other work, which will revolve
around their ability to create information and knowledge, including cultural
products. Rather than standardized education, we will need more personalized education and training to foster creativity and imagination. I propose that
243
What do we need to do to make the digital age a great success? First of all,
we need to build trustworthy, transparent, open, and participatory information
and communication systems, which are compatible with our cultural values.
For example, it would make sense to establish a citizen web to manage a joint
“Internet of Things” and enable complex self-organizing systems by means of
real-time measurements and feedbacks. I call the intelligent information platform needed for this the “Planetary Nervous System”. This platform could also
fuel a new kind of search engine. To protect privacy, all data collected about
individuals should be saved in a Personal Data Store. Subject to the consent of
the individual in question, this data could be processed in a decentralized way
by third-party trustworthy information brokers, which would allow everyone
to control the use of their potentially sensitive personal data. A micro-payment
system would allow data providers, intellectual property right holders, and innovators to be rewarded for their services. It would also encourage the exploration
of much-needed new intellectual property right paradigms. A pluralistic, usercentric reputation system would promote responsible behavior in the virtual (and
real) world. It would even enable the establishment of a new, multi-dimensional
value exchange system, which would overcome the weaknesses of the current
financial system by providing additional adaptability. A global participatory
platform would empower everyone to contribute data, computer algorithms
and related ratings, and to benefit from the contributions of others (either for
free or for a fee). It would also use next-generation social media to measure,
produce and protect social capital (which encompasses network-based social
attributes such as trust, reputation, and cooperativeness). A job and project
platform would support crowdsourcing, collaboration, and socio-economic cocreation. Altogether, this would build a rapidly growing information and innovation ecosystem, which would unleash the potential of data for business, politics,
science and citizens alike. We could also create a digital mirror world which
would use sophisticated computer simulations to assess the likely risks and
opportunities associated with decisions we might make. Furthermore, digital
assistants and Social Technologies could help us to cope with the diversity of
our world and benefit from it. Finally, Interactive Virtual Worlds, potentially
based on different economic systems, decision-making institutions, and intellectual property rights, would allow us to unleash the full creative potential.
They could also help us to identify suitable institutional settings and interaction
rules for self-organizing systems, before we deploy them in the real world.
10. Build a new educational system that prepares people for the digital age
to come and for creative work. It becomes increasingly clear that most of
our current institutions and jobs will fundamentally change. Much of the work,
which has been performed by people in the past, will be done by computers, algorithms, or robots in the future. This particularly applies to procedural and rulebased work. Hence, many people will have to find other work, which will revolve
around their ability to create information and knowledge, including cultural
products. Rather than standardized education, we will need more personalized education and training to foster creativity and imagination. I propose that