Technocracy, understood as the integration of technology in government decisions and the administration of power, emerges as a response to the growing complexity of modern societies.
In an interconnected world, technological progress redefines the rules of the game in economics, politics, education and human relations.
Currently, the spirit of the 90s reappears, increased and accelerated with the invention of the internet, social networks and artificial intelligence.
New winds are blowing in the world. You breathe another air. The addition of Trump + Musk seems an important step in the fusion of democracy with technology and combines political power with digital power. Musk’s role in the government will have as its goal the revolution of the State to optimize its effectiveness and efficiency.
- USA:
- o The influence of figures like Elon Musk transcends the business sphere, impacting areas such as space exploration (SpaceX), sustainable mobility (Tesla), and global communications (Starlink). These advances show how technocracy is directing the country’s priorities toward innovation.
- o Politicians like Donald Trump took advantage of social networks to create a direct connection with citizens, marking a change in how leadership is exercised.
- China:
o Chinese technocracy is characterized by the massive use of artificial intelligence to manage large populations. Example: the social credit system and the use of big data for urban planning and security.
o “Technological innovation zones” like Shenzhen act as laboratories for economic and technological experimentation, driving its global leadership in 5G and e-commerce. - Estonia:
o This small European country is a model of digital technocracy. Its e-Residency system allows anyone in the world to establish virtual businesses in Estonia. Electronic voting and fully digital public services reflect an advanced integration of technology in governance. - Singapore:
o Known for its meritocracy, this country combines a market economy with advanced urban planning, transportation and public health technologies. Their planning strategies demonstrate how technocracy can be efficient and equitable.
- Freedom and Innovation: Technocracy challenges traditional bureaucracy, opening the way to creative and adaptive solutions.
- Meritocracy: The best talent and the most innovative ideas lead the way, transforming entire sectors.
- Speed and Adaptation: Technological acceleration requires rapid responses from governments and societies.
- The Customer-Citizen at the Center: From the user experience on digital platforms to personalized public policies, technocracy redefines the concept of citizen service.
Technocracy not only transforms external systems, but also human nature. Technologies like Neuralink promise direct integration between brain and devices, raising questions about the evolution of human beings.
To capture the client, a new way of being and doing is required characterized by facing risk, anti-system, competitiveness and global scale, among others.
Today 6 of the 7 main companies in the world are technological: Apple, Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), Amazon and Meta (Facebook) and they are reaching formal power and real politik.
If something breaks, what is the most effective solution to fix it? Give it to someone you know to deal with or hire an expert? In the political sphere, should a public position be assigned to a specialist in the field or someone who is a member of the government’s political party should be chosen?
In technocracy, public positions are not occupied by ‘party people’, but by professionals in each of the subjects. This idea was already defended by Plato with his ideal of society, in which he proposed that “each person do what he is best at.”
Technocracy can become a powerful tool for progress if managed with an ethical and strategic vision. However, it also poses challenges: digital inequality, privacy and the risk of concentration of power to a few.
The growth of artificial intelligence in human affairs will not take long. What happens will happen faster. And we must all adapt to that speed if we want to be protagonists and not mere spectators of reality.
