TEDX TALK
Technology: Unprecedented Power, Unprecedented Responsibility By Hector Ruiz
Overview
Due to advances in technology and the subsequent sharing of information, we live in a time of unprecedented individual power. We can have our groceries delivered, do our taxes, and share a meme with someone across the world all from the palm of our hands. What happens though when the same technology that makes all of this possible is used against us, and neither the industry nor government will take action to protect us from technology's unintended negative effects? In his powerful TEDx Talk informed by his career as a pioneering technologist and passionate community advocate, Hector Ruiz reveals to us how we can – and why we must – take back our power for a better tomorrow.
“We don’t have to say yes for the bad guys to win. If we refuse to say no, the result is the same.”
Full transcript
We live in a time of unprecedented individual power.
Because of many remarkable advances in technology, we can buy anything from anyone, anywhere in the world. We can refinance or even sell our homes. We can meet people who share our interests and make new friends … all from the palm of our hands.
But, with unprecedented power comes unprecedented responsibility.
Because, with that same technology, we can take money from people’s bank accounts without them even knowing. If we wanted to, we can obscure facts and bend the truth. We can adversely affect the outcome of an election. Sadly, we can make someone we hardly know feel absolutely terrible about themselves, perhaps even suicidal.
Are we, as a society really ready for this kind of personal power? Have we reached a point where we can create technology that proves to be more dangerous than good? And who should have the responsibility or even capacity to make those calls?
I’m here today to talk about technology – but I want to start somewhere a little different: plastic.
Where would we be without plastic? It’s strong, light, pliable. It’s in almost everything. We have all grown accustomed to using plastic, because it makes good things even better.
But, like almost everything, there’s a dark side to plastic. Where plastic refuses to go away. Where it turns from re-source to ref-use.
You only have to see pictures like this to get angry.
Did you know that about 8 percent of the world’s oil production is used to make all the plastic we use? That figure is projected to rise to 20 percent by 2050.
And, since we humans are creatures of habit, once we start using something, it’s hard to stop. Nearly half of all plastic ever manufactured has been made since 2000. Meantime, you may have read stories recently about the slowdown in recycling, meaning it’s going to pile up even faster.
But wait, it get’s worse.
Because we are now finding out that, as plastic breaks down, and begins to enter the environment, it becomes almost elemental – a tiny rider on the air we breathe and food we eat. That’s why scientists estimate our bodies consume around 75,000 bits of microplastic a year. We better hope that when they say, “you are what you eat” – that doesn’t include plastic.
Now, just to be clear, I do not have any personal agenda against plastic. It’s just an example of an innovation with both amazing benefits and some very big problems.
Now let’s look at where we are with technology. Scary headlines. I’m sure you all have stories about companies that don’t have our interests at heart.
“We’re a platform,” they say … “we cannot anticipate and regulate all the downstream uses of our work.”
And about our political leaders, unwilling to take these companies on … or so out of touch with today’s technologies as to be clueless on if or how to assert themselves.
And here we are … the poor consumers stuck in the middle – hoping for the best and waiting on someone to take some responsibility.
Like plastic, technology has become central to our world. Instead of oil, information is the new raw material. When it’s used well, it’s a fantastic experience. But are we really thinking through all the downstream implications of these technologies? What else is happening to our information? How is it being used by others… and potentially against us?
Ignoring the core challenges of an information-driven society will create the same sorts of problems down the road. And while environmental issues have a tendency to develop slowly, the “time-to-crisis” with technology is happening at a much faster pace.
For example … Facebook – only 15 years old but with a global population of 2.5 billion monthly users – is already being used to warp our political discourse. Facial recognition technology – perfected just in the last few years using artificial intelligence – is now being used by China to control the free flow of both people and ideas. And the Internet of Things has gone from hype to a collection of insecure, ‘always-listening’ home portals in just under five years. But do we know who makes them? And where the information goes?
The biggest target of them all perhaps, the National Security Agency’s datacenter – tasked with keeping us safe - gets up to 300 million hacking attempts PER DAY.
After hearing that, who here really feels in control and optimistic about the future? On any given day we’re one of about 8 billion people on the planet. How can we make a difference? Or are we too far gone?
So, you’re saying, “OK boomer, nice story. We know we’re in deep doo-doo. But what’s your plan for doing something?”
I should explain that I’m no mere observer. I made my career pioneering the first generation of semiconductors. We were obsessed with creating them smaller, faster, better. I certainly couldn’t have predicted a digital age that looked like this – both the good and the bad.
And only now can I see some of those connections, places where we could have done things differently. I don’t envy those working in technology today, who have to directly face the dark side of their work. I still believe that technology is a net benefit for the world. As we continue to get more prosperous, technology can help scale new ideas. But each gain carries a cost. Privacy, safety, social cohesion – do we understand the tradeoffs?
All I know is that we can no longer build technology simply because “we can” without considering what happens next.
Imagine a past where the environmental decisions we made quickly could be reversed. If we could turn back the clock and make different decisions – what would the world look like today? Would we be gripped by the same urgent challenges? It’s a heavy burden. But we can’t continue to ignore it.
Which means that acting now is critical. We don’t have to say YES for the bad guys to win. If we refuse to say NO, the result is the same.
So, where do we turn? Who can help us navigate our choices and challenges and the ethical implications of our decisions not just today, but five years from now? We currently believe we mostly have two choices, and neither of them is particularly good. We’re stuck between a government that won’t and an industry that doesn’t want to.
In a well-balanced, transparent society we’d trust our elected officials to set policy, keep pace with technology and pass laws that minimize damage while maximizing potential. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to be happening.
It takes an average of seven years to pass a bill in Washington. Legislators are incented to look the other way, to never ask tough questions. And this shouldn’t surprise us, unfortunately – when we realize that, until the elections of 2018 – there were twice as many talk show hosts as engineers and scientists in Congress.
If you saw Mark Zuckerberg testify to Congress, it was, to say the least, not impressive. It became clear to me that the people running our country were largely confused and uninformed. Even as a boomer myself it was embarrassing – like watching your sweetest nicest great-grandmother listening to instructions on how to set up a home router.
So, with Congress hamstrung, ideally, we could place our trust in industry. But at the end of the day, these organizations mostly exist to make money. Given my background, I can understand this motivation. What’s really happening is that those in charge of large powerful technology companies are setting public policy by default. We can hope they do the right thing, but pick nearly any challenge. They simply don’t.
So unfortunately, that puts the burden on us.
Should we continue to be mere consumers? Constantly waiting on the next upgrade or innovation? That’s what the word consume means: to take in. Or should we look to be more assertive… more vigilant? Do we have the time?
We must find a way to be more than passive consumers. The future depends on it.
We can vote, agitate, demand accountability and results. And when we decide to vote either for or against them – we can let them know what mattered and why. We need to become what I like to call “Activist Consumers.” With two very important and influential ways to wield power – our voice and our money. What does it really mean to be an “activist” and a “consumer” at the same time?
This is how we win. With wiser wallets, informed consciences, and louder voices. This is how we shape markets and the machines of our political power. And while it may sound daunting – after years trying to build and fix complex things - I’m discovering the way forward may actually be pretty simple.
It really comes down to 3 simple things …
First, we must ‘Engage with Intent’
When considering a purchase – any purchase – we must choose to be more active. Very few businesses are as simple and straightforward as they used to be. What looks like something you get for free, or at least at a great discount, is often too good to be true. Don’t let your eyes glaze over on the latest technology news. Do your homework on the companies behind the product – do they stand for what you stand for?
For example, if you're the owner of a smart doorbell, did you know the company has a data-sharing agreement with almost 800 law enforcement agencies across the country, no warrants required? Get educated and share that information with people who count. Worry early where it’s necessary. Always be the voice of informed reason. Anything else is, quite frankly, unacceptable in this day and age.
Next, we need to ‘Spend with Purpose’
Companies that exist to make money worry when they don’t. This is the only math that matters, unfortunately. We must be willing to choose differently. When you have concerns, let companies know.
For example, if a pharmacy is supposed to help you be healthy, why buy from one that sells liquor and cigarettes? When they choose not to listen to you, spend differently: and let them know of that decision, too. We must, as a market, encourage and invest in those who dare to build things that are not just different, but better.
Finally, we need to ‘Vote with Passion.’
The other lever of power at your disposal is the vote. Not only to grade today’s representatives, but to elect a new generation of decision-makers. Leaders that look more like their communities and understand modern life.
Is there any reason to believe we should be governed by a Congress that is, on average, whiter, 20 years older, and twice as likely to be male as the population they're supposed to represent?
As I started … we must acknowledge that we live in a time of unprecedented individual power. But that with power comes unprecedented responsibility. And as we evolve to become “activist consumers,” we’ll at the same time become better citizens, resulting in a better future for all of us.
Let’s put the idea to a test. What would have happened a generation ago if we had been “activist consumers” when it came to some of those environmental challenges we’re struggling with today? Imagine a population better informed on long-term consequences right from the start? What if we were empowered enough to make choices out of long-term consideration, rather than ignorance?
That’s your job. To take action, even when you’re busy.
To spend differently, even though we all like new things.
To become a true “activist consumer” that uses both your vote and your wallet to hold the powerful accountable and shape the world to be more what we want it to be.
I will close with one thought: you have the world at your fingertips. Every answer is a click away. That means the hard part is asking the right questions. This is where we need to spend our time and talent. Asking those questions today so they’ll never ask that question down the road – just what the hell were they thinking?