Inside the digital society

David Souter writes a weekly column for APC, looking at different aspects of the information society, development and rights. David’s pieces take a fresh look at many of the issues that concern APC and its members, with the aim of provoking discussion and debate. Issues covered include internet governance and sustainable development, human rights and the environment, policy, practice and the use of ICTs by individuals and communities.

Inside the Digital Society: How optimistic are you?
Inside the Digital Society: How optimistic are you? 02 March 2022 David Souter

Should we be cyber-optimists or cyber-pessimists about our digital society and its future? Some new thoughts and updates on how I was thinking about this five years ago.

Inside the Digital Society: Digitalising culture
Inside the Digital Society: Digitalising culture 16 February 2022 David Souter

Cultural expression matters to how we experience life, and we need to reflect more on how digital society is impacting it and what that tells us about other changes as well.

Inside the Digital Society: Fair gigs
Inside the Digital Society: Fair gigs 02 February 2022 David Souter

As gig work becomes more widespread, a look at how it fits with employment rights and how we should be looking at such relationships between our digital and non-digital lives.

Inside the Digital Society: Living with artificial intelligence
Inside the Digital Society: Living with artificial intelligence 18 January 2022 David Souter

The emergence of general purpose AI will be “the most profound change in human history,” according to the BBC's latest Reith lectures. How should we think through the potential risks and opportunities of all this AI in the coming future?

Inside the Digital Society: Another IGF, another year
Inside the Digital Society: Another IGF, another year 15 December 2021 David Souter

The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has come a long way in its 16 years. What is it today, and what should its future look like? 

Inside the Digital Society: What will become of us?
Inside the Digital Society: What will become of us? 01 December 2021 David Souter

Technology is going to change faster than we can adapt to it or even understand it, and we are already seeing technological change outpace the capabilities of public policy. We need to adjust how we view and decide things so technology broadens our policy options rather than narrow them.

Inside the Digital Society: WSIS and the world today
Inside the Digital Society: WSIS and the world today 24 November 2021 David Souter

In my keynote speech to the intersessional meeting of the UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development, I discuss how our progress reviews of the World Summit on the Information Society must account for how digital society is now inextricably linked to all aspects of global development and crises.

Inside the Digital Society: Metamorphosis?
Inside the Digital Society: Metamorphosis? 17 November 2021 David Souter

Facebook-Meta's metaverse might be less Toy Story and more like The Matrix. Either way, here are five reasons we need to be cautious about the ethics of such virtual visions.

Inside the Digital Society: Is your COP half empty or half full?
Inside the Digital Society: Is your COP half empty or half full? 10 November 2021 David Souter

Climate change and digital society are the two trends that will underpin global development in our time. They interact much more than is being understood or discussed at conferences like COP and IGF.

Inside the Digital Society: Eight challenges for internet governance
Inside the Digital Society: Eight challenges for internet governance 02 November 2021 David Souter

At the IGF we often concentrate on specific themes which might be technical, like the domain name system, or more generic such as access or cybersecurity. The challenges I’m going to raise today are more fundamental issues that affect the internet as a whole.

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