Q&A: Is software changing what it means to be human?

The very nature of the internet is changing – and with it, the nature of human experience. James Chin Moody, an engineer and entrepreneur, talks about the future of software, as part of an interview series for our Summit on the Global Agenda in Abu Dhabi.

In your recent survey of technology tipping points, which of the results surprised you most, and why?

The thing that surprised me most was the high level of convergence among respondents when it came to predicting that so many of the technologies we highlighted would enter the mainstream by 2025.

This means that experts now expect the things that were science fiction only a few years ago, internet-connected clothing, or 3D-manufactured cars for example, to become reality in not very much time at all.

This points to the whole notion of tipping points: change rarely happens in a linear fashion, but rather is characterized by long, quiet periods of apparently very little happening followed by seemingly rapid change once a certain critical mass is achieved.

To this end, I was surprised that our survey thought that a tipping point for Bitcoin and the Blockchain wouldn’t happen until 2027 as in my mind this transition is already well advanced. In a similar way, our survey found 2022 was the expected year that 80% of all people would have a digital presence on the internet: given the virtuous circle this milestone represents for development and growth, I personally hope it happens much sooner.

What do you think will be the next game-changing development when it comes to software?

Software today is all about changing the human experience. The internet started off as an information tool, then it came to be about connecting things. Today, it’s more and more about bringing technology closer to humans. And the internet has been getting closer and closer to the human experience. When the internet started to enter our lives, it was in the same building as us in a mainframe somewhere. Then it was in the same room as us, on our desks and then on our laps. Now it’s in our pockets and on our wrists. Soon, it will be in our clothing or even under our skin, and the seamless way we are now interfacing is leading to more brain functions being outsourced, such as our diary or memory. This is a true game-changer.

In what one area do you think software can have the greatest positive impact for the world in the coming five years?

The real opportunity that software presents is giving people access to services and opportunities that they would otherwise not have had. If you consider that the first industrial revolution was about leveraging human energy and decoupling economic growth from labor, this one is about leveraging human intellect: the potential is truly vast.

What area of software development poses the greatest challenge to society, or is least well understood?

People talk of the coming technological revolution as a threat and this cannot be ignored. There is no doubt that jobs and employment are going to be affected as machines become more sophisticated. Small Artificial Intelligence, or pattern-matching as it is also known, is already commonplace in basic accounting and audit functions, and when you think of the number of other roles that could be performed by machines when AI capable of dealing with multiple inputs and outputs becomes commonplace it is easy to understand why people become afraid.

But we have seen such shifts before: look what the personal computer did to the typing pool. Some jobs disappeared and others were created. The big challenge for leaders is how to use software to unlock opportunity and employment. Personalized services, for example, is a large growing area and software can be used to create exchanges and marketplaces that match talent with potential customers. This is called the on-demand economy and it is going to play an increasing role in the future of the global economy.

If you could help your council achieve one thing in its two-year term, what would it be?

We have two aims in our council – firstly, we want to put the challenges and opportunities that software presents onto the global agenda so leaders can discuss and take action to manage a transition that will be as big as the first industrial revolution. Secondly, and this is the reason why our council is called Software and Society, we want to work with other councils to ensure technology is translated into positive impact, whether it is around areas such as human health, global growth, improved governance, trust and privacy or a more cohesive and inclusive society in general.

The Summit on the Global Agenda 2015 takes place in Abu Dhabi from 25-27 October

James Chin Moody is the Founder and CEO of Sendle. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on the Future of Software & Society

Image: Yue Banghai checks on his laptop on the back of his electric bike at a “street stock salon” in central Shanghai, China, September 5, 2015. REUTERS/Aly Song