The Director of the Strategy, Policy and Governance Division of the UN’s Office of Information and Communication Technology (OICT)Salem Avan says digital technology has the potential to bring about a sustainable future, but the “collateral damage” of this transition must be mitigated.
He said the technology has also negative aspects among them job losses and a drastic shift away from traditional ways of working and finding ways to achieve a successful transition to the so-called ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’.
The revolution he said involves the mass adoption of artificial intelligence, robotics, ‘big data’ processing, the Internet of Things, autonomous vehicles and blockchain technologies.
The UN, he says, is focusing on so-called “smart cities”, which make full use of inter-connected technology to empower disadvantaged residents and tackle challenges in housing, transport, employment and education in urban areas.
He further noted that all elements of society must, actively assist lesser-developed cities to integrate advanced technologies and reduce the stark disparity in the digital divide that exists between richer and poorer parts of the world, as well as within cities.
“While it is inarguable that technology is beneficial to improving the daily lives of many, it also runs the risk of excluding certain urban inhabitants who either lack the resources or the capabilities to adapt to the rapid changes that digitization entails”.
He was speaking during a discussion on the impact of emerging technologies and innovation on society, held on Tuesday during the 2019 UN Civil Society Conference, taking place in Salt Lake City, USA, between 26 -28 August.
