The 21st century is a century of opportunities, but also of global challenges that threaten our survival.
Our success as a species is accompanied, among others, by an increasingly aging population, the climate and energy crisis, and a pressing loss of biodiversity on a planetary scale.
In this context, the potential of artificial intelligence to help us find solutions is immense.
An artificial intelligence for social good that in many cases has not yet been invented and in which the next generations will have an important role to play.
However, are we preparing today's children to contribute to the world of tomorrow?
The answer is probably not.
Among other reasons, because we confuse using technology with having the ability to invent it.
Digital natives do not exist.
The skills and knowledge necessary to be able to use technology as a tool to solve problems, devise solutions or create new services must be taught;
They are not learned by being mere users.
To be able to contribute to the society of the future, it is not enough to be a user of technology – undoubtedly a first step to being able to adapt to an increasingly automated world.
It is evident that the use of technology is intense and global.
It is estimated that globally we spend more than six and a half hours a day looking at screens, of which almost four hours correspond to the time we spend looking at our
smartphones
.
This figure rises to more than nine hours a day among children and adolescents in the United States (11 and 14 years old), according to the US Centers for Disease Prevention and nine and a half hours among the inhabitants of South Africa, according to Statista.
However, if we aspire for the next generations to not only integrate into this technological future, but also participate in its design, it is essential to teach them how technology works and encourage the development of critical thinking about its use.
There is a big difference between consuming and knowing.
Therefore, I propose that we dedicate efforts to foster a culture of digital scholars.
This concept entails dimensions of both technical knowledge of technology and the development of creativity, critical thinking, and emotional and social tools to make decisions, collaborate, and contribute to the society of the future.
From a technical knowledge perspective, being a digital scholar implies knowing in detail how the technology we use in our daily lives works, in order to be able to create new tools that contribute to progress and help us face global challenges.
Many of the complex problems we face, such as global warming, the energy crisis, an aging population, or the disparity between rich and poor, will require solutions with a strong technological component, using technology we have not yet invented.
Being a digital scholar entails mastering computational thinking and its five basic competencies: algorithmic thinking, programming, data, networks and hardware.
Computational thinking is the equivalent of learning to read, write and basic mathematics in the 21st century.
Let us not forget that there is no society more easily manipulated than an ignorant society.
How are we going to collectively decide what type of technological development we want if we don't know what we are talking about?
But beyond technical skills, being a digital scholar means embracing a balance between the digital world and the tangible reality that surrounds us.
Being a digital scholar requires developing critical thinking, creativity, empathy, tolerance, perseverance, sustained concentration on a complex task, patience, flexibility, the ability to manage boredom or accept long-term gratification.
Skills that we know are of essential value not only to our well-being, but also to our ability to peacefully coexist and collaborate in a global world.
Skills that we can hardly develop and cultivate with exclusively technological experiences, designed to gratify us immediately, generating cycles of addiction, with frequent interruptions, with a focus on the present and where the richness and multisensory nature of face-to-face human interaction is lost.
Being a digital scholar means knowing how to disconnect and maintain a physical presence and connection with the world around us, key aspects for our mental health, our emotional well-being, our ability to collaborate with others, our creativity, and, ultimately, our happiness. .
Being a digital scholar is recognizing the importance of disconnecting to reconnect with our physical environment, with the people we love, and with ourselves.
It is understanding that the true richness of life is found in the complexity of human relationships, in the exploration of nature, in artistic expression and in the search for the purpose of our existence.
A digital savant society is one that balances technological innovation with humanistic wisdom, thus cultivating people and societies capable of skillfully navigating the digital world while maintaining a deep connection with their environment and their own humanity.
A society of digital scholars will be able to innovate responsibly, use technology to solve global challenges, and promote human well-being in an interconnected world.
Are we prepared to lead this digital revolution with integrity and wisdom?
It's time to work towards a world of digital scholars.
Nuria Oliver
has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence from MIT, co-founder and director of ellis.eu Alicante, a non-profit organization to promote research in artificial intelligence in Europe.