Google Public Policy’s Post

"How we transform cities is a complex problem, and we haven't got time for a lot of experiments,” says Lord Nicholas Stern, prominent economist and chair of Grantham Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. “AI can deliver technological system change at digital speed." He joins James Manyika, SVP of Research, Technology & Society at Google, for a discussion on how we can realize AI’s full potential for sustainability in ways that are globally inclusive and equitable. Listen to the full episode on YouTube, Apple, or Spotify. ➡️ https://goo.gle/4aCPx56

32 years elapsed between the invention of radio (1895) and television (1927). It took another 64 years between television and the mainstream establishment of the internet (1991). We've been accustomed to having decades to digest and adapt to each wave of disruptive technology, but this is changing. As technology advances at an ever-increasing pace, we're struggling to fully process new technology before the next arrives. For example, most of society is only just beginning to digest the implications of GPT-3 level models, and relatively few comprehend GPT-4's level of reasoning. And yet we’re already on the precipice of another increase in the technology’s capabilities. What we’re going to experience ahead is the equivalent of radio, television and the internet — not over a hundred years, but a handful. While some might find this exhilarating, it’s definitely uncharted territory for our society that I think will carry unexpected consequences. Here are a few I’ve been thinking about: 🪄 A new relationship with new: Innovation will soon no longer surprise us and we become desensitized to magic. 📚 A premium on depth of understanding: Most folks will develop a cursory understanding of new technology as their attention diverts to the new thing; as a result, those who develop a deep of understanding of one will face less competition and are more likely to be rewarded for their specialization. 🌳 We’ll see a resurgence of Luddite philosophy and a large naturalism movement as folks simply bow out of participating in the extreme amount of change. Interested in hearing people's opinions. With the compounding acceleration we've been seeing in only the past couple years, what will the future look like in only a decade?

Just finished reading 'The Outrage Machine.' It's a thought-provoking book that charts the internet's journey from a utopian dream to a platform that increasingly amplifies polarizing views. 📚 The internet, once hailed as a beacon of free and open communication, is going through a terrifying adolescence crisis. From the Arab Spring to Brexit and the US elections, we see this change. The book points out a troubling trend: our online spaces are often dominated by extreme emotions, like outrage, which are fueled by the platforms' desire to make a profit. 💻 As 2024's elections draw near, it's increasingly important to understand this complex digital terrain. This isn't just about technology; it's also about how society and culture are changing. How can we, as users of these platforms, be more responsible? How can we critically evaluate the information we share? 🤔 It's equally important to discuss the role of these platforms. The book talks about a theory – that every new form of media initially passes through a 'Dark Valley of Hidden Harm' before finding a balance. How can platforms move towards a healthier, more constructive phase? I'd love to hear your thoughts. What role do you see for yourself in this narrative? What changes should platforms make to foster a more balanced digital conversation? Let's talk about it. Andrew Stroehlein Jon Worth Mathew Lowry Gaia Gambaro Justin Rey Harold Tor-Daenens Marsela Ivanova Pieter Cleppe Alia Papageorgiou Check out the post Liora Kern wrote about this for some interesting views on the book.

More we try to hold onto the future and control it by predicting what's about to happen, the harder it is to create a system that survives the change. It's much more important to know what's happening now and be ready to react faster to how the world changes! https://lnkd.in/ehqxYt9Z

🌐🌍 As our journey through the #DistributedMetaverse draws to a close, let's reflect on the broader societal impacts of distributed systems. How might they influence our real-world societies? Share your insights!

Mainstream accessibility as a topic of innovation and business imperative has been a big focus of mine. It is so exciting that Publicis Sapient CMO Teresa Barreira and R "Ray" Wang CEO of Constellation Research, Inc. share the same perspective. The topic is very timely given the rising tide of #ai technology such as #chatgpt’s impact on humanity. We will be joined by Publicis Sapient Chief Accessibility Officer Alison Walden and fellow colleague David Bray, PhD at People-Centered Internet to discuss this important topic. Please join us on June 27. #accessibility #innovation #humanity #humanfirst #disability #technology #ai

The Impact of Internet on Society: How Everyone's Voice Matters The internet has given everyone a voice, including myself, even as an idiot. Join me in exploring how this disruption is shaping society with 8 billion humans on the planet. #InternetImpact #DigitalSociety #EveryoneHasAVoice #DisruptionInSociety #8BillionHumans #VoiceMatters #OnlineInfluence #DigitalTransformation #ImpactfulInternet #SocietalShift

Some reflections on a brilliant couple of days at #ILTACONEurope meeting friends old and new, being reminded how great the legal community is, and listening to some enthralling sessions arranged by El Presidente Tony McKenna, along with Andrew Powell, Karen Jacks, Damien Behan, and the International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) - thanks all very much! Thursday was opened with a fantastic keynote from Professor of Mathematics Hannah Fry on The future - check out her Bloomberg series. Fascinating to see how data is being used now - or not being used correctly now in some cases - and will be in the future. We explored The Next Frontier of Customer Experience and learned what a Yottabyte is, when it is coming (2025 btw), and the environmental impacts of creating mountains of data that no one uses/needs. We saw a light shone on the digital skills gap, and no conference would be complete without a deep dive into GenAI with a little deep fake thrown in for good measure - my friend and colleague James Baldassarra has already posted on the AI front. Selfishly, my favorite was "How to Think Differently to Do Differently" from the excellent Jamil Qureshi - one of the foremost practitioners of performance-enhancing psychology and expert in high-performing teams. No slides - a flip chart and a pen, love it! And some provocative key takeaways:- - Companies don’t compete with companies, networks compete against networks. - Don’t set out to make major changes, make small ones often. - Success is connecting two unconnected things. - Learn faster and better than the opposition. - Don’t manage time, manage energy. - Think like an outsider – i.e Spotify wasn’t created by the music industry. - The price of success is paid upfront and in full! - As humans we Think, Feel, Act – in that order. - To act differently we need to think differently. - We act upon our most dominant thoughts. Our brain ignores ‘don’t’ – “don’t think of a pink gorilla”..... The greatest inhibitor in human history is – our belief system. We take info and do three things – Delete, Distort, Filter and we do that based on our bias and prejudice. It’s not what you know, it’s how you feel about what you know. So, I need to decide how I'm going to think differently to do differently, but one thing is for sure it was a great event. Call me Old Skool, but these 3D events are making a comeback! #TheHarborWay #thinkdifferent