Technology and the data it creates call for a much clearer set of laws and guidelines — a Digital Bill of Rights — to ensure that individuals’ best interests are being defended.
Today’s leaders and lawmakers face the unenviable challenge of keeping up with a deluge of new technologies that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. Drones, self-driving cars, advanced surveillance, digital finance, smart cities and robotics are just a handful of examples that have the potential to transform the way we live.
Falling behind puts us at risk of two distinct threats. On one hand, advancement and adoption may be stifled by concerns about murky policy or a lack of accepted technological standards. On the other, innovation without thoughtful oversight raises the specter of security, privacy and ethical breaches.
Each major technological shift presents its own unique set of practical and philosophical questions. There are, however, a handful of broader underlying issues that are vital to nearly all of the most important technological issues on the horizon.
Many of the challenges in technology today stem from a lack of agreed-upon standards, as well as deficient guidelines and protections around ownership of and access to personal data.
Many of the challenges in technology today stem from a lack of agreed-upon standards, as well as deficient guidelines and protections around ownership of and access to personal data. Addressing these common elements as quickly and effectively as possible should be the focus of business leaders and policy makers alike.
