Deep Shift Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact

Conclusion
The software-enabled shifts described in this report
fundamentally provide the capability for two things: digital
connectivity of everyone to everything (in smaller and
smaller units of both), anywhere and at any time; and a set
of mechanisms or tools for analysing and using the data
associated with almost all aspects of daily life. The world
and what people can do is increasingly being is increasingly
being driven and enabled by software, and what people
can access and analyse is simultaneously becoming more
“bite-sized” and aggregable. This creates the opportunity
to offer innumerable services by and between individuals
and organizations of all types, from companies to non-profit
organizations and governments. It also, however, portends
large-scale change that could be difficult to absorb in both
scale and speed.
The challenges of navigating the transition are great as well.
As highlighted in this report, the individual, organizational,
governmental and societal adjustments are not trivial, and
everyone will feel their impact. The speed of various aspects
of the transition is hard to predict, but it is not difficult to
see that the world will function quite differently 10 to 15
years from now. Being prepared to navigate the transition
begins with awareness of the shifts to come, and some
understanding of their implications.
The potential is huge. Imagine the positives of being able to
access any service you want, or physical asset or tool you
need, when and where you need it; or being able to predict
a serious health problem before it happens, and get the
needed service – or an organ perfectly made just for you –
wherever you are. While the potential for democratization
and transparency are great, real concerns arise. With data
created on everything, will individuals still have acceptable
levels of privacy? What will happen to the sense of worth,
place and contribution to society that people derive from
work and have felt throughout history?
38 Deep Shift - Technology Tipping Points and Societal Impact