We Have No Choice

The world has never been the same ten years ago. Everything has changed so quickly that it impacted the way the world moves and behave. All of us are now caught into the web of technology because it makes our lives easier, it created entertainment for us to use, and in an instant, the distance of people among themselves do not matter anymore.

Technology has indeed reached far reaching heights that it has become indispensable. Everything we see right now and everything that we need or want, are all controlled by one device that we hold in our hands and keep in our pockets. This fact remains to be true: we are very addicted to technology and that creates wealth for a few billionaires.

In truth, our phones have become small surveillance units that artificial intelligence can see and hear from, so that products that we don't need can be introduced to us to make us want to buy it through advertisements that know our personality and predict how we make buying decisions. That while technology is good, it is manipulative. And since the internet economy is dependent on advertisements that target the vulnerable, impulsive buying becomes a habit, too.

But there is nothing that we can do. Businesses are dependent on increasing sales figures, and the economy is dependent on growing its gross domestic product. At some point, money should circulate through economic activity, whether that is driven by need or decided by created demand. As customers, we should have the power of choice, but sadly, technology is influencing us by taking that power of choice into the hands of effective algorithms that produce tremendous results.

We do believe, however, on the goodness of humanity. While we might be a pawn in this billion dollar industry, we can choose to be ethical ourselves. Complaining about something that we cannot change is simply futile, and we are personally responsible on how we act despite all that is happening around us. 

Looking on the bright side of everything helps us change how we formulate our thoughts. The internet is not actually free, because we are the product. When companies use our information to help marketers place their own advertisements online, if we situate ourselves in the right perspective, it is, after all, a form of extending help to others, too. Helping others is a great virtue, and it always goes back to us in unexpected ways.

Artificial intelligence is a two-edged sword, and mostly that depends on how we view the world around us. We view the world as cruel because we are cruel. And some of us view the world as fair and responsible because we hold those virtues, too. The world behaves in diverse patterns of characteristics, and we are being sorted based on how our thoughts translates into action.

In the end, while the world may be greedy, we can choose to be kind. And while the world may be taking advantage over us, we can choose to be loving. After all, there is no free lunch. And being ethical in a world full of deceit is a reward in itself that no one can dispute.

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The editorial is brought to you by Audi.