The enormous benefits and concurrent challenges involved in the rollout of emerging technologies were discussed during the opening keynote on day one of the Mobile World Congress 2022 in Barcelona, Spain.
Introducing the session, Mats Granryd, director general of GSMA, said that it is very possible to imagine the future technology possibilities of tomorrow right now. He pointed out that many sci-fi films in the past have been surprisingly accurate in their predictions of future life. “I am amazed how much right they got about the future – space travel, human-like robots, self-driving vehicles and no cables anywhere,” he noted.
The current technology revolution will involve moving from simple connectivity to meaningful connectivity, underpinned by 5G, according to Granryd. This will affect all industries, “from automotive to aviation, education to entertainment and manufacturing to the metaverse.” This “intelligent connectivity” will be enabled by a combination of 5G, AI and big data.
Granryd added that it is crucial that relevant stakeholders work together to provide wider mobile coverage and digital literacy education to the considerable proportion of the world’s population (around 3.7 billion) that do not have broadband coverage. “For many people, mobile is the only way to get online, so training is obviously very necessary,” he commented.
Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, chairman and CEO of Telefonica, then took to the stage. He observed that despite the enormous benefits advancements in technology have brought about, such as enabling longer, healthier and easier lives, there is significant wariness about its role. “We live in an era of conflict, apparently everywhere and about everything. Between East and West, truth and fake news, privacy and free services, sovereignty and big digital platforms, old industrial models and climate change, automation and job creation, digitization and equality. Our society has lost its optimism,” he outlined.
While technology offers progress, it can also be used for negative means, which means “society distrusts it and those who provide it.”
Alvarez-Pallete said this issue must be addressed as we enter the “deepest technology revolution in history,” as technologies like blockchain, quantum computing, cybersecurity, edge computing 5G and AI continue to develop. This is because “these technologies are redefining our society and economy.”
However, work needs to be done to ensure everyone can enjoy these technologies, creating “the best of open and democratic societies.” This includes increasing access and digital skills across the world. “If we do it right, we will recover a trust that has been shaken by fake news, trolls, bots and cybercrime,” explained Alvarez-Pallete. “If we do it right, we will recover our own privacy and digital sovereignty as data is part of our dignity.”
No tags.
