This Is the Beginning of the End — Why Tech Advancements Will Hinder the Developed World's Dominance The digital era is transforming the dynamics of power, wealth and access in ways never seen before, potentially undermining the economic supremacy of the developed world.
By Solo Ceesay Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Key Takeaways
- Emerging technologies like AI and blockchain could challenge the developed world’s economic dominance.
- Smaller nations may gain economic independence as Bitcoin and digital systems reshape global trade.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
It's hard not to marvel at the utopian dream that unfolded between the early 1990s and today. As a 30-year-old, first-generation millennial, I've had a front-row seat to the untamed progress of the 2000s that rapidly transformed the quality of life in the developed world. Ironically, as fascinating as those changes have been, they have secured our one-way ticket to the underwhelming times we live in today.
Looking back on the industrial and technological revolutions, it's clear that they fueled quite possibly the greatest renaissance in human history. In a matter of decades, we saw the introduction of household appliances, the proliferation of art, music and entertainment as a whole, as well as advancements in global communications and internet systems. Now, we're knocking on the door of the illustrious 'future' that our childhood selves perpetually dreamt of. Flying cars aren't here just yet, but believe it or not, I saw a pitch deck for a startup looking to build them. Who knows what 2025 will bring?
Despite the abundance of opportunity, innovation and the promised new heights of human experience, there is resentment and apathy. People have had enough of capitalistic greed, outdated power structures and bureaucracy.
The brain rot that saturates the internet, in combination with the uncontrollable growth and influence of media companies, has played a big role in desensitizing the masses. What's more concerning is that nothing seems to surprise anyone anymore, as evidenced by the shockingly mixed but very balanced sentiments that lingered following the United Health Care shooting. These days, if you scroll down your timeline you'll see a mix of activists calling for gun control, peppered with memes and gossip posts ranking the attractiveness of the alleged gunman.
What's most interesting about the peculiar spot society appears to be in is that alongside modernization came greater access to information. This subsequently eroded the shield that was our understanding of history, the economy, war, politics and the world as we knew it. We're now at a point where it's widely accepted that "life's not fair," and there's only so much hard work can do about that.
Nevertheless, the emergence of technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain represents an entirely new frontier for mankind. Throughout time, man has been gifted tools to build and secure a better future. AI and blockchain provided what man — and the wider world — desperately needed. AI ushers in an era of scaled intelligence with the interface to access and control said intelligence. Harmoniously, blockchain provides infrastructural trust and security for the digital age. Together, when used properly, these technologies parabolically raise the bar for what man is capable of.
Bitcoin's global role
Already, we've seen large companies and individuals explore how these technologies can streamline businesses. What we haven't seen discussed much is the global ramifications of this for geopolitical relations.
No doubt, global society has been greatly advanced by the contributions of our biggest nations. What lagged was the growth and development of smaller nation-states. Before blockchain, and specifically Bitcoin, the only option some small nation-states had to preserve wealth was the US Dollar, given the volatility of smaller, local currencies. It's hardly feasible to expect all nations to viably issue a currency for their citizens, given the volatility of both the political and trade climate.
Related: Why Not Owning Bitcoin is Making You Poor
This dynamic is further exacerbated by colonization, which we've seen many West African countries thwart in recent years. These shortcomings partly fueled the disparity that formed between the West and the developing world. Remember: a strong Dollar means a strong military (because we can spend), which in turn creates a powerful economy. These dynamics start to change in line with political game theory.
Though recently discovered by the general public, the exploitation of many emerging markets for 'advancement' is far from new. It plays a huge role in how the world as we know it came to be. What's now clear is the previously insurmountable headstart developed nations had from their foundation might not be so insurmountable anymore. AI, blockchain and, more generally, the digital age mark the beginning of where the rules of the world will be redefined. If you ask me, we're about to witness the greatest redistribution of knowledge, wealth, resources, and access in history. The global gameboard has been reset, and the rules have been rewritten. In simple terms, just like AI and blockchain will help large countries scale or ameliorate certain operations, they will invariably be invaluable resources, inputs, and drivers of many small nation-states' economic and geopolitical futures.
It's still early in the broader history of these transformative technologies, relatively speaking; however, their timely introduction undoubtedly is a step in the right direction toward a more meaningful, authentic human experience.
While there's still much to discuss in regard to regulation and the surveillance of these technologies as consumer products are introduced to wider audiences, 2025 will almost certainly be looked at as the year things change.
