November 30, 2021
The following excerpts come from the article, “The Role of Culture in Innovation,” written by Taylor Barkley and published on November 30, 2021 by HumanProgress.org.
American culture is in the throes of a debate over technology and innovation. On the one hand, survey after survey report overwhelmingly positive perspectives on the benefits of technology. On the other hand, bestselling books such as The Shallows and The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, popular articles in publications like The Atlantic and The New York Times, and documentaries like The Social Dilemma regard technology with suspicion and fear.
Polling shows that the public is optimistic about technology but also supports increased regulation that would chill technological progress. Other polls report low support for emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles, artificial intelligence, and drones. In short, American culture is at a crossroads — technological pessimism or optimism, fear or hope. History has shown that this choice, an ongoing choice, has profound consequences for human well-being.
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Innovation, particularly technological innovation, has brought humanity from subsistence to prosperity, improving the lives of millions. Over the last two hundred years, life expectancy, child mortality, disease eradication, housing conditions, pest infestations, travel, communication speeds, sanitation, food quality and cost, clothing quality and cost, and income per person have all improved. Educational resources and entertainment options have become cheaper, high quality, and ubiquitous.
Today, we often exhibit an attitude of caution and restraint toward innovation. There is an opposing rhetoric that urges innovators to slow down or avoid certain types of new technologies, and many believe that thinking seriously about technology means being critical of technology. According to an internal analysis by Stand Together (where I work), of the 35 most widely-read technology nonfiction books published between 2018 and 2019, approximately 60 percent were negative towards innovation.
The positive story and history of innovation need to be told. In an ideal world, innovations and the people who create them, especially those who are just starting out, would be celebrated across cultures. Courage in pursuit of these principled ends would be admired and emulated. People young and old would aspire to be innovators and would seek out new adventures and new ways of doing things. Academics would develop new technology, instruct innovators, and study how to encourage invention and innovation. Business leaders would compete in the marketplace for consumer approval rather than in the halls of government for legislative approval. Americans from all walks of life could look at the progress around them, the tangible ways their lives have improved, and feel optimistic about the future.
American culture is right now in the middle of this debate, and there are indications that pessimism might win. Although policy solutions friendly toward innovation are crucial and should be maintained, changing cultural attitudes towards innovation is just as important. Just like the technological development which it encourages, moving the cultural needle requires a willingness to struggle and fail, learn from failure, and work toward a better future. Nothing less than the lives of our descendants depends on it.
