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A vibrant digital future harmoniously blends technology and nature, emphasizing human connection and technology; tech serving us when it makes sense.
We’ve seen digital platforms change from focusing on users to chasing profits. Instead of helping users, they now put making money and profit first. This change comes from tech companies making deliberate choices. It’s not just happening by chance. Yet, it makes us wonder if we’re also choosing to make decisions that are better for our wellbeing, instead of giving our power away.
Our digital world has fallen apart step by step. It started with platforms that offered true value. But as they grew, they began to use users for profit. The focus turned completely to making as much money as possible. Take Facebook as an example. It began as a place for college students to connect, promising privacy and meaningful conversations.
But as it grew, it started to use user information for ads and put making money over showing what you want to see. This betrayal of trust started a cycle of growth that costs us from bullying to a culture of sameness.
Freemium models always come with a catch. Behind the offer of “free” services, there’s an exchange and a motive to boost consumption and profits.
A Connected Digital Future
Economic shifts, changes in regulations, and updates to competition law and oversight have significantly reduced the quality of digital platforms. These alterations have permitted companies to expand and consolidate with minimal oversight. The tech industry’s knack for evading traditional regulations and overlooking user feedback has led to a detrimental digital environment. Consequently, digital spaces increasingly overlook our rights.
Yet, acknowledging this systemic problem can serve as a wake-up call, prompting us to consider what we are sacrificing and what we truly need. Imagine a healthier digital future where the value placed on our well-being surpasses the pursuit of profit. This principle applies across all areas of life, suggesting a broader shift towards prioritizing health and wellbeing over financial gain.
Grasping this process goes beyond criticism; it outlines steps to transform our lives into a hub of genuine connection and creativity.
Recognizing the issue and its roots allows us to imagine a world not solely driven by profit and growth. In this vision, technology uplifts and integrates rather than leads. We aim for a digital future that supports our wellbeing and nurtures healthy human relationships.
But it takes effort and no longer observing or reporting about the giants with insatiable appetites we created and feed.
What Can We Create with Trillions?
Now, consider the impact of allocating $7 trillion towards initiatives that benefit humanity, rather than focusing solely on new missions for organizations like OpenAI. Why aren’t we discussing how this significant investment could enhance our lives, our planet, and the prospects for future generations?
What if we focused on our greatest opportunities to live healthy lives, including our digital future?
Imagine creating platforms that nurture our wellbeing, countering the widespread anxiety and fear surrounding AI. Have we forgotten that this $7 billion being raised right now for AI development originates from our spending habits and consumption.
Hence, making thoughtful choices, today and every day, could lead us towards a healthier existence.
Artificial intelligence mainly copies how humans think because it is created by humans who often ignore the abundance of natural intelligence.
But, it could also learn from nature, like the way mushrooms and the mycelium network communicate and other natural wisdom gathered over millions of years. Focusing only on human ways of thinking can make it hard for us to see the big picture of our planet’s life network. Isn’t it time to tap into all intelligence because we can?
As below, so above. Everything we need is already here, including new and timeless technologies.
Related: The Roller Coaster of Distraction, or Our Wellbeing?