History Claps Back on Techno-Optimism

Do emerging technologies inherently serve the greater good?

Join Policy Prompt hosts Vass Bednar and Paul Samson in a discussion with world-renowned economist Daron Acemoglu, on his recent book Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity, co-authored with Simon Johnson. Following the launch of this episode, the announcement was made that Acemoglu, Johnson and James Robinson share this year’s Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences for their groundbreaking research on global inequality.

The hosts and Acemoglu discuss the implications of technological prowess on the global stage, the impacts of artificial intelligence on the future of work and education, and the building blocks of techno-optimism.

In this op-ed first published in the Toronto Star, Bessma Momani and Shelly Ghai Bajaj consider the impacts of mis- and disinformation beyond elections and foreign interference.

“Recent events, such as the riots in August in the United Kingdom that targeted racialized immigrant communities, and the spread of disinformation targeting the Haitian American community in Springfield, Ohio, offer critical warnings and lessons for Canada. These incidents underscore how our digital information landscape can spark and stoke conflicts even within diverse and democratic societies.”

In our rapidly evolving digital landscape, technology is more than just a tool — it is a powerful force influencing our deepest thoughts and choices. Although international human rights law protects our inner thoughts and opinions, there is a gap in addressing these emerging threats.

Our new town squares — monopolized, monetized digital platforms — unfortunately provide limited choice for critical sources of information. Those platforms that do must compete for our attention across a fractured landscape that continuously reveals itself at lightning speed.

In this video, Susie Alegre outlines the importance of keeping our thoughts and opinions private and free from manipulation. Watch it here, and explore the latest research from CIGI’s project on the right to freedom of thought, Legitimate Influence or Unlawful Manipulation?

“In 2023, the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario announced plans to offer a combined $28 billion in subsidies to Volkswagen and Stellantis to build electric vehicle battery plants in Canada. That’s a lot of money. But when you take a look at the global picture, we are thoroughly outgunned.”

In this op-ed, first published in The Globe and Mail, Dan Ciuriak and Laurent Carbonneau point out that although industrial policy may have fallen out of favour in the twentieth century, there’s good reason to be engaging in industrial policy right now. Last year, governments around the world “implemented more than 2,500 industrial policy interventions. If we aren’t playing this game, we will get beaten by the countries who are playing, aggressively.”