In the 21st century, technological development has really picked up speed. Year after year, new technological solutions are added, while others are refined, and behind the scenes a political game takes place about who will have control of the technology and thus our future.
There are many things to keep in mind - whether it is the digital world that is becoming more "human" thanks to artificial intelligence, or whether it is the physical world that is becoming more digital as a result of electric cars or the Internet of Things. In many places in public space, surveillance cameras follow people's movements, but the surveillance takes place to an equal extent digitally – right down to what we buy and who we talk to – and criminal hackers have increased the need for new security technology.
But should we set limits to the development of technology or just let creativity run free? It is a crucial question to discuss now and in the future. First of all, we must have knowledge of the different parts of the world of technology and the political interests that may be at stake if we are to understand what is good and bad about the development. Hopefully, this theme can contribute to more knowledge and debate about how we can navigate the world of technology, so that we can benefit as much as possible from the possibilities of technology - and at the same time protect ourselves as best as possible against the downside of technology.
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5G and mobile networks
About every decade a new generation of mobile networks is launched, starting with 1G in the 1980s until today with the new 5G network. The technology is faster than ever before, but 5G has also become a pawn in a geopolitical game between the West and China, and the question is how far we are willing to go in pursuit of a faster internet connection.
Electric cars
Electric cars that run on battery-powered electricity are far from a new phenomenon, but in recent years the great focus on CO2 emissions and climate change has created renewed attention to the electric car, which many hope can help slow down global warming. At the same time, non-fossil car companies such as Tesla have managed to push technological development so much that most car manufacturers today have at least one electric model. Despite the tailwind, there is still skepticism and arguments against betting everything on electric cars, but there are many indications that they are now here to stay.
Facebook
Since 2004, Facebook has evolved from being an internal online forum for students at Harvard University to one of the most used websites in the world. Facebook today has more than two billion active users worldwide, including 65 percent of all Danes. But the social media has also been exposed in concealing knowledge that the platform's algorithms promote hate, misinformation and other content that creates conflict, violence and human unhappiness. As a result of the bad publicity about Facebook, the parent company has changed its name to Meta.
Hacking
Our reality has never been more digital, and society has therefore become more vulnerable to hacking – both when it comes to the individual's personal data and search history that is shared online, and to society's entire critical infrastructure in the form of electricity, water, heating and communication networks. Where hacking was originally linked to teenagers who were good at programming, hacking has now also become a means of illegalities of a more serious nature and a source of large income via, among other things. extortion and price manipulation. In addition, hacking is increasingly used by intelligence services and actors who want to spy on certain countries or influence political developments, e.g. around an election.
Artificial intelligence
Artificially intelligent machines are winning on the battlefields, in traffic, in the world's factories and in countless other places. Since the turn of the millennium, development has been extremely rapid. Scientists predict a near future where our cars drive themselves and robots fight our wars. Some experts even estimate that in a few decades we will have machines that are far smarter than ourselves – a scenario with unpredictable and potentially unpleasant consequences for humanity. Others, however, consider that notion to be far-fetched and point out that a biological brain is far more complex than a computer can ever be.
IT security
The Internet has provided a sea of new opportunities for citizens, businesses and authorities. But with the many new digital technologies also come new risks: hacking, identity theft, surveillance and many other forms of IT crime. The threats are constantly changing in nature and require both the individual citizen and society to make an effort if IT security is to be top notch.
Monitoring in society
Surveillance is far from a new phenomenon. Already in the 17th century, Danish kings monitored the citizens and argued for the monitoring on the grounds that it was necessary to ensure the security of the state. With the novel 1984, the English writer George Orwell in 1949 projected a dystopia of a society where the state limited the individual's freedoms through surveillance. Today, the novel is a frequently used reference in the debate about today's surveillance, which has spread further during the 2010s. Here at home, the latest political initiative is about using facial recognition in public spaces. However, it is difficult to guard against misuse of surveillance, and Danish authorities have also been accused of selling surveillance equipment to dictatorship states, which use surveillance to control and suppress regime-critical citizens.
Security technology in the 21st century
After the terrorist attacks on the USA on 11 September 2001 and in line with technological development, the West's use of security technology has grown significantly. It began with surveillance cameras and data collection, and today the technology is so advanced that it can also be used for facial recognition and geolocation, just as drones and robots powered by artificial intelligence can help guard national borders, for example. But some experts also warn that the development of new security technology can become a slippery slope. They point out that once technologies such as drone surveillance or facial recognition are on the market, states and companies will be more inclined to use them – even if the effect may in reality be limited.
Young people and social media
Social media is taking up more and more of everyday life - not least for young people. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok influence young people's habits, language and relationships and play a decisive role in their relationships and the development of their identity. But the use of social media also entails risks, which make it necessary that young people learn to use the media in a way that neither harms themselves nor others. Research points to a possible connection between children and young people's use of social media and their experience of being unhappy, stressed and lonely, and studies indicate a social bias in the use of digital media.
Web 2.0 and Web 3.0
The Internet develops year by year, and since the first websites popped up in the early 1990s, the Internet has gone through several phases. The first generation of the web is called Web 1.0 and consisted of static websites, which are a far cry from today's more interactive platforms. These were born with Web 2.0, which paved the way for social media such as Facebook, Wikipedia and LinkedIn, where users themselves create the content. In recent years, there has been talk that we are entering the third phase of Web 3.0, often called Web3, where idealistic actors are trying to wrest the Internet out of the hands of the powerful tech giants. Whether it will succeed in creating a decentralized Web 3.0 remains to be seen, but the fact is that the Internet is a place in constant motion.
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