In the next 20-30 years, robots and AI, augmented and virtual reality, digital fabrication, and other forms of emerging tech will radically transform our economy, creating a staggering amount of wealth.
Big Tech says they’ll empower people by democratizing this new tech. But that’s what they said about the last wave of tech – personal computers, the Internet, smart phones, and social media. While folks from Harlem to Harlan County did become skilled users of this tech, creating an explosion of creativity in the form of websites, TikToks, etc., few benefited from the wealth it generated. If anything, this previous wave of tech was part of an economy where wages for most workers stagnated and many communities were left behind.
How do we prevent the tech world from failing so many communities during the next wave of tech as it did in the last one? By ensuring that this time everyone has a seat at the table.
Makers All is an initiative to figure out how all communities can shape the direction of emerging tech so black, white, and brown families in every community can thrive and prosper.