During his NEXT09 keynote presentation, Andrew Keen dissected some of the problems underpinning the current discussion about the impact of technology on institutions. In this 5 minute 50 second video, I’ve pulled together some of the key threads he seeks to tease out.
In the first section, Andrew points out the difficulty of remaining objective in an environment where proponents of one position or another – in this case Jeff Jarvis, Umair Haque and himself – are also participants in what is happening.
In the second section, Andrew discusses the historical underpinnings for some of the current ideas, rooting it in early Marx. This is NOT the same thing as socialism or capitalism but born out of the same sense of idealism.
Finally, Andrew talks about the impact of the digital revolution on our institutions and attempts to provide perspective on the risks of rampant individualism without some form of governance.
Anyone engaged in professional activities who has witnessed the erosion of authority will understand the basis of his argument. As yet, the solutions and outcomes are unclear. One thing is certain, individuals are gaining a certain kind of power that may, or may not, be a good thing in the long run. What is clear is that unfettered, society and professions could run into many difficulties.
You don’t have to agree with Andrew to at least understand the argument and it was against that backdrop I recorded the individual piece published earlier.
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