Those who own the data own the future
The Separation
The result of globalization might not have a fairy tale ending, it may result in ‘speciation’, the divergence of humans into separate biological castes or species.
In the 20th century, ‘barbarians’ were considered useful because of the labor they provided, but in the 21st century, when labor becomes automated completely, these ‘barbarians’ may become irrelevant. Not just individuals, but countries may eventually become irrelevant, as fortifications guarded by drones and robots create a border between the new ‘civilized world’ and the world of the barbarians where people fight each other with automatic rifles and machetes.
Data Ownership
Whoever owns the data will inherit all future power. The problem is that even if companies were stripped of the ability to own this data, allowing governments to take over would not solve the issue, since that would result in Orwellian digital dictatorships.
A fundamental question that ought to be answered is: who then should own the data? This according to Harari could be the most important question of our era. If we cannot
If we cannot answer this question soon, our sociopolitical system might collapse. People are already sensing the coming cataclysm. Perhaps this is why citizens all over the world are losing faith in the liberal story, which just a decade ago seemed irresistible.
Read 21 Lessons For The 21st Century
If you are interested in reading books about unmasking human nature, consider reading The Dichotomy of the Self, a book that explores the great psychoanalytic and philosophical ideas of our time, and what they can reveal to us about the nature of the self.