Tools and Weapons: The Promise and The Peril of the Digital Age

by Brad Smith

The implications are multifaceted and even profound. To succeed in the digital era, companies need to recruit world-class talent, both homegrown and from elsewhere. Local communities need to ensure their citizens are equipped with new technology skills. Countries need immigration policies that give them access to the world’s top talent. Employers need to develop a workforce that reflects and understands the diversity of the customers and citizens they serve. This requires not only bringing more diverse people together but also creating a culture and the processes that will enable employees constantly to learn from each other. Finally, as technology accelerates growth in key urban centers, these regions need to manage the challenges this growth is creating, not just for individual institutions, but for the entire community.