* By Rodolfo Fücher
This article was inspired by the indignation of a great friend when reading an interview by Italian economist Michele Boldrin entitled “Innovation destroys jobs faster than education saves them”, published in August 2017, in El País. In the opinion of this friend , throughout its experience of more than 40 years in the information technology sector, the facts demonstrate that technology has collaborated to the creation of countless new businesses, never before possible, generating countless new professions and indisputable advances for the good of society . He concludes that technology is not the villain, but a development agent.
In my view, the arrival of some innovative technology or model, without a doubt, creates, at first, a gap between groups of people who have access to this new technology and are benefited by it, and those who do not have access or do not have it at all. conditions to explore it. This gap can impact jobs in the existing model, generating said inequality. The central point is the speed with which this gap is reduced, or eliminated, until the moment when the majority of the population starts to have access to the benefits of this particular innovation.
Remember when society used horses as an animal force to pull vehicles? In just over a decade, combustion vehicles have replaced animals in New York City. Think about the number of people who have lost their jobs, from those who worked in the fields, transport, city cleaning, veterinarians, breeders, caregivers etc. On the other hand, the automobile industry started to need workers for the assembly lines, mechanics, engineers, among others. In addition, a huge marketplace has also emerged: auto parts industry, accessories, workshops, gas stations, etc. Not to mention the other benefits, such as the speed of transport of cargo and food, which, in the end, radically transformed logistics, making it more agile, efficient and cheaper and significantly increasing the availability and ease of products, in a broad and democratic way. Logically, the greater the demand, the more production. More production, more jobs. However, certainly during this transition process, there was a period in which unemployment increased. Which leads us to reflect on the speed at which society is able to retrain its workforce and, just as importantly, create means of access to tools and equipment that ensure that this innovation is enjoyed by all of society as quickly as possible and, way, warding off the increase in inequality and without impacting subsequent generations.
A good example is what we are experiencing today: lack of internet access has left around 25% of students out of the educational process. There is no way for society to make up for this lost time. These 25% will be in inequality and, very likely, will impact the next generations. Internet access is as important as access to electricity and basic sanitation.
When we look at the long term, it is indisputable the countless opportunities generated directly or indirectly by the arrival of some innovative technology or model, in an even larger number than the existing one. However, the speed of reducing this gap in access and qualification is directly related to society's efforts in general to pay attention to these cycles of technological innovation. Obviously, like any democratic country, government is the product of its society. And it is clear that, as a Brazilian society, we are not playing this role properly.
We are the culprits and not the innovation. It is up to us, as individuals, in whatever way we can, to help reduce this gap in a more agile and efficient manner. Only in this way will we have a more prosperous and inclusive society. We, from ABES – Brazilian Association of Software Companies, are acting on two main fronts to reverse this situation. We have been working with the legislative and executive powers, vehemently fighting the various proposals for tax reform, which at the end of the day will increase access to technology for the Brazilian population that Brazil already suffers from one of the highest taxes in the telecommunications segment in the world, increasing further this gap. And we started the mobilization to reduce inequality developed in partnership with ReUrbi and the Third Sector Observatory, with support from Weber Shandwick. Our objective is to support social inclusion projects that promote training and inclusion in the digital area, through resources obtained from the recycling of IT equipment discarded by companies participating in the ABES ReciTech Program, which collects, recycles and reinserts the equipment in the productive chain.
After all, we cannot blame the baker for the existence of hunger.
*Rodolfo Fücher, president of the Brazilian Association of Software Companies
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