The advent of global satellite internet will profoundly impact communities currently untouched by technology, thrusting them into the information age and, more specifically, the knowledge economy. This transition will raise numerous issues and questions across various domains, from labor markets and economic development to social structures and ethical considerations.
Here are some of the key issues and questions likely to emerge:
- The Nature of Work and Required Skills:
- Job Disruption and Creation: The world of work is already changing dramatically, with machines taking over repetitive jobs and increasingly encroaching on professional work. It's uncertain whether this will lead to net job losses or net job creation, but a significant shift towards more skilled and professional roles is expected.
- Evolving Skill Sets: There will be a strong emphasis on STEM/STEAM skills, as well as interpersonal skills, creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, collaborative capability, and empathy. The ability to work creatively at the human-computer interface will be crucial.
- Lifelong Learning: Given the rapid pace of change, lifelong learning and the capacity to be strategic about learning will become vital for employability. Education systems will need to evolve to focus on critical thinking and problem-solving rather than rote memorization.
- New Job Roles: Many jobs of the future do not yet exist, making it difficult to predict exact requirements. However, new roles are emerging, such as personal brand managers, data privacy strategists, ethical hackers, gamification designers, cyborg psychologists, drone experience designers, and AI-assisted diagnosticians. The challenge will be to prepare people, especially youth, for these roles.
- Displacement of Entry-Level Jobs: Technology is increasingly eliminating jobs traditionally used by young people and the poor to enter the labor force, making it difficult for those who struggled with traditional schooling to acquire new skills.
- Digital Divide and Infrastructure Challenges:
- Connectivity vs. Digital Poverty: While global satellite internet will provide connectivity, there's a risk of a "new digital divide" between those who can fully benefit from digital space and those who cannot, leading to "digital poverty".
- Beyond Access: The challenge moves beyond mere access to a vast volume of data (information society) to the ability to apply, analyze, interpret, and contextualize that information to create value (knowledge society).
- Infrastructure Deficiencies: Many rural areas currently lack adequate infrastructure beyond connectivity, including roads, electricity, and healthcare, which can hinder the full realization of technology's benefits.
- Digital Literacy and Cybersecurity: Communities will face challenges in developing digital literacy broadly (understanding how information is created, shared, and consumed) and navigating cybersecurity risks and disinformation. Ethical hackers and data privacy strategists will become important roles to address these threats.
- Economic Development and Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas:
- Vulnerability of Traditional Industries: Rural economies, often reliant on agriculture and tourism, are vulnerable to external shocks and climate change. Existing agricultural jobs are expected to be eroded by industrialization and automation.
- Leveraging Local Knowledge: The knowledge economy offers a path to build economic resilience by leveraging unique local and indigenous knowledge (traditional ecological practices, crafts, storytelling).
- Village Knowledge Hubs: The concept of "Village Knowledge Hubs" is proposed as a community-owned and operated center to preserve local culture and generate new economic opportunities. These hubs can facilitate digital storytelling, remote work, creation of niche products/services, and access to vital information.
- Rural Entrepreneurship: This will become a crucial solution for economic development, focusing on creating social value (e.g., food, water, education) and jobs, rather than just profit. Entrepreneurs embedded in their rural communities can leverage local assets and foster networks to attract customers and markets.
- New Economic Models: There will be opportunities for innovative, transformative business models that generate added value, social cohesion, and job creation, often through cooperation and efficient value chains.
- Social, Cultural, and Ethical Considerations:
- Cultural Preservation vs. Modernization: How will communities preserve their unique cultural heritage, languages, and traditional practices while engaging with new technologies? Community ownership and control over this knowledge will be paramount to avoid appropriation.
- Human-Machine Interaction and Relationality: The increasingly intimate relationship between humans and machines will raise questions about our identity ("singularity"). Experts highlight the enduring human advantages in ethical judgments, understanding human needs, and emotional intelligence.
- Ethical Governance of Technology: The need for "Robot Ethicists" to address moral implications of AI, robots, and cyborg technologies, and "Chief Ethics Officers" to protect data privacy, will become critical.
- Community Cohesion and Well-being: While connectivity offers access to global networks, there's a risk of isolation in a "hyperconnected world". Communities will need to foster local interactions and shared experiences, and find ways to "disconnect". The importance of intercultural, cross-generational, and gendered understandings for creating inclusive technological spaces is highlighted.
- "Power With" Information Ecosystems: The influx of information can exacerbate existing power imbalances, with a vacuum filled by "algorithmic noise, disinformation, and platform-driven content economies". There's a call for "Civic Signal Hubs" as community-led infrastructures for sensemaking, emphasizing trust, care, local knowledge, and distributed channels over centralized platforms. This involves viewing information as a "commons" to be stewarded collectively.
- Indigenous Perspectives and Decolonization: Integrating Indigenous perspectives, often based on relational ontologies that view land as a living relative rather than property, into economic and conservation practices will be crucial. Approaches like "Two-Eyed Seeing" aim to bring together Indigenous and Western worldviews respectfully to address issues like biodiversity loss and climate change, challenging colonial structures.
- Agricultural Transformation and Food Security:
- Modernization and Sustainability: Farmers will increasingly rely on digital and data technologies, such as in-field sensors, drones, robots, and AI, for remote soil and livestock monitoring, and optimizing water management. This offers opportunities for more efficient and sustainable use of resources.
- Adoption Challenges: Convincing older farmers to adopt new agroecological practices, managing initial costs, and acquiring new skills (e.g., livestock care) will be significant hurdles.
- Food System Resilience: The aging population of farmers and the lack of young successors pose a "demographic catastrophe" that threatens food security. Innovative farming methods like regenerative agriculture and new revenue streams (e.g., carbon trading) are being explored to attract younger generations. Global food security issues and climate change will also necessitate new commodity development and ethical production challenges.
In essence, while global satellite internet promises to unlock significant opportunities, it also demands thoughtful engagement with its profound implications for employment, skill development, cultural preservation, economic models, and ethical governance, particularly in vulnerable and remote communities.