Ever since my college days at Duke University studying computer science, I've spent countless hours pondering the role of technologists. This has been a journey spanning years, probing the essence and purpose of a technologist's skills, while constantly comparing them to another class of people—artists.
Artists, in my understanding, serve a noble purpose. They illuminate the path to the future, presenting a canvas of possibilities. Whether it's for themselves, their families, local communities, digital communities, companies, cities, countries, movements, or even bioregions, artists awaken us to what could be if we tread down certain paths.
Contrastingly, technologists make those futures possible. But it's not just about making possibilities a reality—it's more complex. As I see it, the most unarguable and fundamental role of a technologist is to lower the barriers that inhibit individual flourishing.
Growing up and throughout my high school years, I've often found myself amongst folks who played by a single rule—acquire as much wealth as possible and keep climbing the social ladder. But this game of endless pursuit of status, by its very design, is exclusive. It's about outdoing others, leaving many behind.
This game fails to consider the ethical dimensions of technology. It disregards whether what's being built is beneficial to people, if it is truly helping them, democratizing their chance to flourish, or improving their quality of life. The rules of this game are clear—stack your wealth, elevate your status. But should this be the game that technologists play?
I believe technologists should feel a sense of pride—not just for any accomplishment, but specifically for reducing the cost of human flourishing through their technological advancements. It could be anything from discovering a cheaper source of abundant energy, devising ways to measure personal flourishing, radically cutting down the cost of housing manufacturing, finding cost-effective methods for water purification, or creating efficient internet infrastructure.
However, when I talk about decreasing the cost of flourishing, I don't merely refer to the financial aspect. The ecological impact of human flourishing is equally significant. A product might cost very little to produce in monetary terms, but that doesn't absolve it from potentially causing substantial human or ecological suffering.
Therefore, a truly exceptional technologist makes breakthroughs that lower the cost of meeting basic human needs, not just financially, but also ecologically and socially. This holistic approach ensures that people can flourish to the fullest extent possible, without compromising on the health of our society or our planet.