Technological adoption also may outpace monitor their health are providing increasing ethical maturity and regulation, creating per- amounts of data to governments and the sistent and potentially corrosive social anxiety private sector. Governments, especially au- and political divisions. These tensions could be thoritarian governments, will exercise unprec- further in昀氀amed by the use of manufactured edented surveillance capabilities to enforce or AI targeted messaging such as deep fakes. laws and provide security while tracking and Complicating Government-Corporate Re- de-anonymizing citizens and potentially target- lationships. Public-private partnerships for ing individuals. investment, research, and development have Stimulating Debates Over Openness. The been critical for attaining many technological prospects of a hyperconnected world will breakthroughs and advantages, but core cor- stimulate debates and divisions within and porate and national interests do not naturally between states about the bene昀椀ts and risks of align. Large technology companies increasing- open, connected networks. As global networks ly have resources, reach, and in昀氀uence that ri- become increasingly interconnected, it may vals and even surpasses some states. National be more di昀케cult to maintain a segregated or interests in maintaining technological control closed system, and e昀昀orts to block the broad- and advantage as well as protecting national er Internet potentially could irreparably cut o昀昀 security can be at odds with corporate inter- closed systems from the global economy. ests in expanding global market share and Existential Risks. Technological advanc- increasing pro昀椀ts. es may increase the number of existential Disrupting Industries and Jobs. The pace of threats; threats that could damage life on a technological change, notably developments global scale challenge our ability to imagine in advanced manufacturing, AI, and biotech- and comprehend their potential scope and nology, may hasten disruptions to manufac- scale, and they require the development of re- turing and global supply chains, eliminating silient strategies to survive. Technology plays a some modes of production and jobs and role in both generating these existential risks bringing supply chains closer to markets. and in mitigating them. Anthropomorphic Shifting supply chains could disproportionate- risks include runaway AI, engineered pandem- ly a昀昀ect less advanced economies, while many ics, nanotechnology weapons, or nuclear war. new jobs will require workers with improved Such low-probability, high-impact events are or retooled skills. di昀케cult to forecast and expensive to prepare Enabling Governance, Threatening Free- for but identifying potential risks and devel- dom and Privacy. The technology-saturated oping mitigation strategies in advance can provide some resilience to exogenous shocks. and hyperconnected future will o昀昀er leaders and governments new tools to monitor their populations, enabling better service provision and security but also o昀昀ering greater means of control. The same technologies that em- power citizens to communicate, organize, and A MORE CONTESTED WORLD 65 Images / Bigstock