Driving past the University of Arizona campus a few weeks ago, I spied a “Starship robot” on the sidewalk. The sighting caused me to wonder how long it had been since I wrote my Substack piece on 4th IR Technologies and Libraries; it turns out it was exactly two years ago this month.
At the time I began research for “The Future is Now,” the news (and the library world) was consumed with Covid-19 and social justice issues. I became curious as to what was out of focus, and that led to me to The Fourth Industrial Revolution. Initially I created a Powerpoint presentation on the topic; upon presenting it I discovered that most librarians, while they might have been familiar with isolated 4th IR elements, had not yet grasped the full picture.
Where is 4th IR technology a mere two years later? The first human has received a brain implant from Elon Musk’s Neuralink. Ukraine, which strives to be a digital country, has gone open-source with its digital app Diaa. Over 130 countries are engaged in CBDC research. Ethereum has transitioned to proof of stake. The Securities and Exchange Commission approved Bitcoin ETFs. Major companies now accept Bitcoin. Palm payment is an option at all Whole Foods. Fingerprint, eye, and facial scanning technology has expanded at airports. ChatGPT launched in November 2022, dead internet theory has gained traction, and human influencers are being replaced by AI. Speculation abounds that Kate Middleton, like Britney Spears before her, has been replaced by AI representation. A few cities now have driverless cars, albeit not without glitches. Children’s Health Defense recently won a Smart City lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, while the Los Angeles Police Department now utilizes a robotic dog. LBRY shut down; Web3 is still under development. NFTs have gone bust, at least temporarily. Tokenization of assets is on the horizon. Artificial intelligence has resulted in some job losses, but the ultimate impact may be slow in arriving.
As these interrelated developments become clearer, the pros and cons of The Fourth Industrial Revolution will likely become a huge topic of debate, particularly around issues of convenience vs. control.
Top Image: George, jane, and judy jetson.jpg/ Wikimedia Commons
It's going to be a wild future. Glad I will be dead within 20-25 years! On the other hand, I will enjoy checking out the VR at the local library and going places I never went. There will be upsides as we go down, down, down...
We also had VR headsets at the last library I worked and it made for some fun programs. Like you though I am pessimistic about a lot of these developments. And I refuse to download an app in order to park in a downtown lot.
I hadn't yet heard of it when I wrote that recent piece on the decline of search engines, but it sheds some more light on the issue. It began as something of a conspiracy theory but it is gaining recognition as a legitimate critique.
It's going to be a wild future. Glad I will be dead within 20-25 years! On the other hand, I will enjoy checking out the VR at the local library and going places I never went. There will be upsides as we go down, down, down...
We also had VR headsets at the last library I worked and it made for some fun programs. Like you though I am pessimistic about a lot of these developments. And I refuse to download an app in order to park in a downtown lot.
And some breaking news on Roger Ver. https://poddtoppen.se/podcast/1439014279/the-free-thought-project-podcast/guest-aaron-day-cbdc-rollout-hits-defcon-1-roger-vers-arrest-is-just-the-beginning
Fascinating stuff -- I hadn't heard of "dead Internet theory" before -- !
I hadn't yet heard of it when I wrote that recent piece on the decline of search engines, but it sheds some more light on the issue. It began as something of a conspiracy theory but it is gaining recognition as a legitimate critique.
Further discussion here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVT_s2bO3VI