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The Challenge: Growth of the Internet and Information Technology

In the same way, it is clear that computers and information technology are penetrating

more and more areas of our lives. At first glance, of course, everyone assumes they don’t

want it, don’t need it, and so on. But the ubiquity of the Internet and mobile phones,

WhatsApp and Facebook show that our civilisation is heading for an ever more intensive

partnership with the computer, not only because of Industry 4.0 and new bionanotechnolo­

gies, but also because of its need for communication. However, we must also be ethically

mature for this. Otherwise, without an enlightened use of the Internet and the computer,

there will be a “silent takeover” by authoritarian forces, which will then subtly control the

entire population via the computer and the media, including all their communications.

This is no longer a utopia (as in George Orwell’s novel “1984”, source: Orwell 1949; cur­

rent edition Orwell 2003), but there is now already the “Citizen Score”, which classifies

the Chinese citizen according to his or her loyalty to the regime and his or her reference

persons – as well as gradually controlling him or her more and more remotely.

Freedom is the most important good of a thinking being with consciousness, creativity,

the freedom of thinking, to meet reference persons, to help people, to make art or also to

solve a scientific problem (Schiller 1789). This is exactly what we should preserve, this

freedom to shape our lives freely and not only in bioinformatics by an enlightened use of

the computer and modern media improve, increase and secure this freedom for later gen­

erations (see box: “Digital Manifesto”). Then, and only then, will increasingly powerful

computers become a powerful way to live out our freedom and free communication. For

under a computer-based dictatorship, on the other hand, we face dark times ahead. For the

background, see the “Digital Manifesto” box.

Digital Manifesto (from Spektrum der Wissenschaft)

The Digital Manifesto was written as a joint statement by eight scientists in 2015

(https://www.spektrum.de/thema/das-­digital-­manifest-­algorithmen-­und-­big-­data-­

bestimmen-­unsere-­zukunft/1375924). This call fits perfectly with our Chap. 16. It

reflects both the threats and our tasks and opportunities in the face of the concen­

trated power of the internet and artificial intelligence. For this reason, the call is

reproduced verbatim below:

Big Data, Nudging, Behaviour Control: Are we threatened by the automation of

society through algorithms and artificial intelligence? A joint appeal to safeguard

freedom and democracy.

Everything is becoming intelligent: soon we will not only have smartphones, but

also smart homes, smart factories and smart cities. Will we end up with smart

nations and a smart planet? We are currently experiencing the greatest historical

upheaval since the end of the Second World War: the automation of production and

the invention of self-driving vehicles is now being followed by the automation

of society. This puts humanity at a crossroads where great opportunities are

(continued)

16.3  Global Digitalisation and Personal Space