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The ages of Technology

I want you to reflect on what you did yesterday morning before you came into this room. How many of
you scrolled through your phone first thing in the morning? How many of you used an app to find your
way here? How many of you are already planning on watching a video, playing a game, or sending a text
after this speech?

The reality is, for most of us, these questions do not even arise. The response is an unthinking "yes." This
simple fact unveils a deep truth about our contemporary lives: technology is not merely a component of
our lives; it has become the very fabric of our lives. It has intertwined itself into our individual habits and
the social fabric of the world, and as a source of enormous advancement and unexpected problems.
Now, I would like to delve into this intricate relationship and ponder the role technology has had in
transforming me as a person and us as a whole.

For me, as for many of you, technology is the unspoken partner on my daily path. It begins with a ringing
alarm on my smartphone, which then becomes my link to the world. It's how I browse the news, stay in
touch with friends, and keep track of my schedule. This isn't merely about convenience; it's about an
entire re-imagining of the way we communicate with information and with one another.

Consider communication. Not long ago, long-distance relationships were a luxury. Phone calls were
expensive, and letters took days, even weeks, to arrive. Today, a video call can bridge thousands of miles
in an instant, allowing me to see the faces and hear the voices of family members living on different
continents. Social media sites, for all their imperfections, have provided a venue in which I can share my
existence and remain connected to a community of friends from various eras of my life. This ubiquitous,
casual connectivity has made the world smaller and made it not only feasible but, in fact, ordinary to
carry on relationships despite physical distances.

Technology has had a similarly intimate effect on education. When I was growing up, a research paper
involved a visit to the library, hours pouring over dusty card catalogs and encyclopedias. Now, the whole
library of human knowledge is at my fingertips, accessible through a few keystrokes. I've learned skills,
pursued hobbies, and gained insights through online tutorials, digital courses, and academic databases.
This democratization of knowledge has enabled me to be a life learner, to feed my curiosity on demand,
and to customize my learning to my pace and interests

technology has taken the drudgery out of the everyday, freeing up time and brainpower. Online
banking, mobile payments, and ride-sharing apps have supplanted older, less efficient processes. My
phone's GPS navigates me through unfamiliar streets, and a smart assistant will turn on my lights or play
my song with a verbal command. All these small, everyday perks accumulate, making our lives more
efficient and less stressful. They've become so ubiquitous that we don't even realize them until they
disappear.

Technology's reach goes well beyond the person, altering the societies we live in at their very core.
In economic terms, technology has been revolutionary.

The growth of e-commerce has revolutionized the way we shop, the gig economy has remapped work,
and automation has optimized industries from manufacturing to finance. Technology generates new
work—consider data scientists, app developers, and social media managers—but also displaces existing
work, setting up a dynamic in which flexibility and ongoing learning are no longer desirable but
necessary. It is a powerful driver of prosperity, but one that also poses significant questions of job
security, rising income inequality, and the nature of work. In healthcare, technology is saving lives and
improving well-being in unprecedented ways. Telemedicine allows patients in remote areas to consult
with specialists, electronic health records improve patient care, and wearable devices enable us to
monitor our health in real-time. Innovations like robotic surgery and AI-driven diagnostics are pushing
the boundaries of what's medically possible, making treatment more precise and effective.

Then there's the flow of information.

Never has humanity had greater instantaneous and pervasive access to news, ideas, and opinions. This
has enabled social and political movements, enabling citizens to mobilize, exchange information, and
hold power to account. This same access, though, has created new and critical challenges. The instant
proliferation of misinformation, the construction of online echo chambers, and the deterioration of
journalistic standards pose severe challenges to an informed society. The same tools that unite us can
tear us apart and create great divides, and it becomes increasingly difficult to find common ground.

While we celebrate the amazing advantages of technology, we need to be frank about the darker side as
well. The pervasive connectivity can result in digital addiction and psychological problems. Our personal
information, compiled by thousands of apps and services, is a commodity, and it poses serious questions
on privacy and security. The digital divide continues, with many communities and people left behind
without access to the very tools that have become indispensable for inclusion in contemporary life.

The lesson here is technology is a tool, not a fate.

It is neither good nor evil. Its consequences lie solely in the direction we wish to take in its use, control,
and incorporation into our existence. We must be responsible in being users, to query what we are
putting into us, and to place value on people over machines. We must cultivate a public conversation
regarding the moral ramifications of AI, data privacy, and the imperative that technological
advancement should advance all people, not a privileged few. As a closing remark, technology has
become a part of the textile of my life and the world that surrounds me.

It has made me more connected, better informed, and more productive. It has revolutionized industries,
saved lives, and enabled communities. But its potential requires our respect and our watchfulness. The
future is not a predestined result of technological progress. It is a product of our decisions—the
decisions that we take today and every day regarding how we will use this potent tool to create a future
that is not merely smarter and more efficient but also more fair, humane, and interconnected. Thank
you.