IT: The Great Empowerment Engine

1. IT: The Great Empowerment Engine V S Arunachalam Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, USA UN World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg, South Africa August 29, 2002

2. What is new about ICT? • Exploding technology and continual growth • Information (hence knowledge) as products • Enticing applications in all areas of human empowerment and economic growth Breaking space and time barrier V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

3. IT Takes Off Radio = 38 TV = 13 Cable = 10 120 Internet = 5 Users (Millions) 90 60 Cable Radio Internet 30 TV 0 ‘22 ‘30 ‘38 ‘46 ‘54 ‘62 ‘70 ‘78 ‘86 ‘94 ‘02 Years to reach 50M users: Source: Morgan Stanley. V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

4. IT: The New Organism Source: Cooperative Association for Internet Data Analysis (CAIDA) V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

5. The Southern Stars Internet Users In China Cellular Phone Connections V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

6. 15 12 Projections for 2008 9 Total Total $ 87 Billion Exports $ 62 Billion Billion US $$ 6 Exports 3 0 1995 1997 1999 2001 India: How Rich is My Silicon Valley? V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

7. IT: The Great Democratizer • Empowerment • Right to information, access and knowledge • Example 1: Nigeria • Example 2: India • Universal Health • Diagnosis, directions and treatment • Education • Realizing millennium declaration • Universal literacy • Anytime, anywhere and any level V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

8. Educating India • 200 Million children in school going age • 160 Million presently enrolled • 40 Million more to be educated • Need at least 1 Million additional teachers • Annual expenditure: US $ 0.4 billion • Computers and connectivity • Annual expenditure: US $ 0.2 billion Access, number and quality V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

9. The Road Ahead and the Machines are Making It • Breaking away from Gutenberg prison • Speech, pattern recognition, information, knowledge and discovery • Overcoming language barriers V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

10. Machines are Making It • Processing speed, storage capacity and broad band connectivity • AI is back, this time to work for all countries V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

11. Growth of Wireless/Satellite Technology • Satellites • Global reach already • New “Low Earth Orbit” (LEO) Satellites coming • Wireless • Leapfrog option for low/medium densities • Witness Cell phone growth • CMU has a project to prototype inexpensive wireless links for schools and villages • Can give blanket coverage for 10,000 sq. mile area for ~ 10 million dollars V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

12. And, Now the Costs • Cheap, universal and broadband connections • Affordable hardware and connectivity V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

13. From Science to Sustainability Science Technology Technology Limits Human Development Prosperity and Challenges Products and Processes V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

14. An Appeal to World Leaders in Johannesburg • Enable Connections • Encourage innovations and applications • Technology is ready and friendly • Let us not miss the IT revolution Avoid The Digital Divide V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

15. A Johannesburg Initiative • Establish a global network of Enabling Technology Centers with a mandate: • global dissemination of information and knowledge in accessible form • appropriation of technologies for developing products and processes for human empowerment V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

16. A Johannesburg Initiative (cont’d) • No top-down approach this; not planning on trickle-down • A collaborative network where every center contributes • National centers created with national efforts and with UN suggestions and advice V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University

17. Build the Road and People Will Come V S Arunachalam, Carnegie Mellon University