Aspen Ministers Forum Session XX – November 2016
Technology and 21st Century Reality: Revisiting the Social Contract
The AMF held Session XX in Silicon Valley, California in November 2016 to discuss how technology can provide opportunities to rebuild and strengthen the social contract, in particular solutions through technology to address humanitarian crises. Dr. Francis Fukuyama opened the discussion with an in-depth look into the current global social contract and political climate, and explored what historical factors have led to a loss of faith in the system and political institutions. The group heard from Silicon Valley experts who are working on creating the technology that can help repair trust between governments and its people, and the potential pitfalls that can result from it. Participants discussed the future of work in the new economy, open data between the public and private sector, and the rise of artificial intelligence. To continue the dialogue from Session XIX in Oslo, discussions highlighted the impact of technology on the refugee and migrant crisis, ranging from blockchain technology and universal ID to online education and a human-centered approach for refugee assistance. The group plans to continue the conversation around the social contract and opportunities to leverage technology for the refugee and migrant crisis.
A few of the ministers released a statement in December 2016 about the situation in Aleppo in Der Tagesspiegel and in The Times. They also spoke to Bloomberg, which published a piece on the future of work that drew heavily on insights gleaned from AMF discussions.
