The WEF did not claim to invent the term ‘The Internet of Things’. But it was terribly excited about it. It will “bring unprecedented opportunities”. But hang on. What is this thing, the Internet of Things? Here is a definition from p. 3:
Technological change [which] will combine the global reach of the internet with a new ability to directly control the physical world, including the machines, factories and infrastructure that define the modern landscape.
In short, “massive volumes of data”, “improved operational efficiency”, “collaboration between humans and machines”, It is a cross between Open AI, Amazon and Siri, then: and of course ornamented by the Chinese Social Credit system. It will result, says the WEF, in an “outcome economy”. Ever heard of that? There will no longer be products, it boldly claims, only “outcome-based services” that “deliver measurable results to customers”. In order to get whatever this means in practice, they say we need more “cybersecurity”, and, above all, more “interoperability”. Yes, indeed. “Industries, government and academia need to collaborate.” Oh, they do, do they?
The pamphlet is strewn with hopeful dross from various CEOs: “The Internet of Things is a ground zero for a new phase of global transformation…” And, a bit illiterately: “The Internet of Things is everything that has been promised to be.”...<<<Read More>>>...
