The Future of Technology: The Good, The Bad & The Orwellian

44m · Defiance · 27 May 13:19

“The reality of technology is, it’s not good or bad, it’s both the answer and the problem.”
— Jonathon Brill

The coronavirus pandemic has had a dramatic impact on the lives of everyone. The reaction by governments to the crisis has varied widely, but most countries have implemented some form of lockdown to reduce the spread of the virus.

With schools and businesses forced to close, and people restricted to limited movement outside of their homes, lockdowns have forced people to adapt to a new way of life. Whether working from home, attending lectures or catching up with friends, technology has facilitated the continuation of life.

While the lockdowns have been a challenge, there have been many positive outcomes from exercising more to eating fresh food to having more time with your family. The ease at which companies have adapted to remote working and the broader benefits this offers both the staff and the company, many are now considering becoming remote-first organisations.

The vast majority of people have complied with lockdown rules. A willingness to protect the general population and get back to ‘normal’, as quickly as possible, has meant most have accepted that they must temporarily give up some of their civil liberties. But there are now concerns that not all of the measures put in place will be temporary.

The old adage “never let a good crisis go to waste” has undoubtedly been true of this pandemic. Governments around the world are overreaching and implementing surveillance that they will likely be reluctant to relinquish, and the post-coronavirus world may be an Orwellian dystopia.

In this episode, I am joined by leading tech experts and futurists Jonathon Brill, Ross Dawson, Sam Lessin, Rob Reid and human rights activist, Alex Gladstein. We look at the good, bad and Orwellian technological changes in a post-coronavirus world.

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Show notes and transcription: https://www.defiance.news/podcast/the-future-of-technology-the-good-the-bad-the-orwellian

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Timestamps:
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The episode The Future of Technology: The Good, The Bad & The Orwellian from the podcast Defiance has a duration of 44:04. It was first published 27 May 13:19. The cover art and the content belong to their respective owners.

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