Those Who Missed the Renaissance Are Missing Human 2.0 Too: The Consequences of Missed Revolutions

The phrase “those who missed the Renaissance are missing Human 2.0 too” describes the consequences that individuals or societies may face when, having missed the major turning points of history and the intellectual transformations of those periods, they also ignore today’s rapidly advancing technological revolutions. While the Renaissance brought a great leap in science, art, philosophy and thought in Western civilisation, the concept of “Human 2.0” points to a new form of human being shaped by the technological innovations changing human life in the modern era (artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, biotechnology). Missing such transformations has historical and socio-economic consequences in many respects.

  1. Scientific and technological backwardness The Renaissance is one of the most important periods of intellectual awakening in human history, and societies that missed it fell behind in scientific and technological progress. Likewise, societies that miss today’s digital revolution and developments in artificial intelligence run the risk of being left outside the knowledge economy. Societies that fall behind in scientific progress may face great inequalities in access to education, healthcare and technology. Indeed, one study highlights that the digital divide seriously hampers economic development in developing countries [1]. Similarly, societies that don’t keep up with the leaps in artificial intelligence and robotics will risk being unable to benefit from the opportunities Industry 4.0 offers [2].
  2. Deepening social and economic inequality Digitalisation and biotechnological advances have the potential to increase inequality between societies. Artificial intelligence, automation and robotics are creating a major transformation in the labour market. For example, research on the impact of AI on the workforce suggests that low-skilled jobs are highly likely to be taken over by automation, which would deepen social inequality [3]. Societies that don’t adopt such technologies will fall even further behind in the global economic race, and their level of social welfare will decline. Indeed, the World Economic Forum states that individuals without digital skills face a much higher risk of unemployment [4].
  3. Cultural and intellectual marginality The Renaissance was also a period of cultural awakening. The intellectual innovations of figures such as Leonardo da Vinci reinforced the intellectual leadership of Western civilisation. Today, too, the cultural dimension of digitalisation is an important factor that increases the intellectual richness of societies. Cultures that fall behind in the digitalisation process risk becoming marginalised in both science and art. Societies unable to adapt to technology will be unable to sustain their cultural development and will have no voice on a global scale [5].
  4. Loss of adaptability and competence in the labour market As technology and artificial intelligence transform many sectors, labour markets and societies unable to adapt to these transformations may suffer great losses. According to research by McKinsey, automation and artificial intelligence will transform 30% of existing jobs by 2030, so individuals who don’t understand these processes will face the risk of unemployment [6]. Individuals unable to adapt to the “Human 2.0” evolution in particular will be seen as less valuable in the labour market, which will lead to a serious fall in the level of social welfare.

The chart above visualises, by category, the possible risks faced by societies that miss major transformations such as the Renaissance and Human 2.0. It shows the impact of ignoring these transformations in four main areas:

  1. Scientific and technological backwardness (30%): The likelihood of falling behind for societies unable to keep up with technological progress is the highest risk.
  2. Growing social inequality (25%): Social inequality deepens between the individuals and societies that miss technological transformations.
  3. Cultural and intellectual marginality (20%): Societies that don’t embrace digital and technological developments may become culturally marginalised.
  4. Loss of workforce and talent (25%): A labour market unable to adapt to new technology loses talent, which raises unemployment rates.

Sources:

  1. World Bank Group, "Digital Dividends: World Development Report 2016," World Bank Publications, 2016.
  2. Schwab, Klaus. "The Fourth Industrial Revolution: What It Means, How to Respond." World Economic Forum, 2016.
  3. Acemoglu, Daron, and Restrepo, Pascual. "Robots and Jobs: Evidence from US Labor Markets." Journal of Political Economy, 2019.
  4. World Economic Forum, "The Future of Jobs Report 2020." Geneva: World Economic Forum, 2020.
  5. Castells, Manuel. The Rise of the Network Society. Wiley-Blackwell, 2010.
  6. McKinsey Global Institute, "Jobs Lost, Jobs Gained: Workforce Transitions in a Time of Automation." McKinsey & Company, 2017.