Former US president calls for accelerating action on climate change and anticipating the impact of automation on the world of work
“I love Spain”. Barack Obama has pulled a rockstar trick to get the first applause in the auditorium of the DES – Digital Enterprise Show, the congress that brought him to Malaga as a star speaker. With these words, around noon, the former US president started a long conversation in English (and without simultaneous translation, unfortunately for many in attendance who paid 1,900 euros to see Obama but did not understand him) with Silvia Avilés, founder of DES .
Sitting on a Chesterfield couch, dressed in a light dark suit and a white shirt with no tie, the Nobel laureate reflected on the great challenges facing humanity: the war in Ukraine, the struggle between authoritarianism and democracy, climate change, the digital revolution, social inequality and the lack of opportunities for young people. Not all the dialogues were serious: As a good “speaker”, Obama has sought the complicity of the public with jokes about the local culture (“I was told that in Spain not everyone sleeps siesta; I don’t know if it’s true”) and small personal confessions: «Michelle comes to Spain more often than I do; sometimes he comes without telling me and spends his time drinking a lot of wine and sunbathing.”
These are some of the reflections grouped by themes that the former president of the United States made at DES – Digital Enterprise Show.
The current rules and the war in Ukraine are not slowly coming to the fore. Obama doesn’t beat around the bush. “What Russia is doing is a threat to the democratic order,” he declared in his most political statement.
“I am old enough to remember the Berlin Wall and the Cold War. And my father lived through World War II. Perhaps the new generations took peace and prosperity for granted, but Ukraine woke us up»
“What Putin is doing with his authoritarian regime, ignoring the law, is related to some existing authoritarian tendencies in our societies, related to the far right. It is important that we look at ourselves and ask ourselves: are we doing everything we need to do to protect democracy defend against authoritarianism in our countries?
“To win this battle of ideas between democracy and authoritarianism, we must create an inclusive capitalism that reduces inequalities”
“We have to work so that we can all affirm our own culture without attacking others. People should have a sense of belonging, but that feeling should be healthy and not create enemies.
“There is strong evidence that the migration crisis we are seeing in the world is caused by climate change. People may have no choice but to leave their country.”
“We must focus on clean energy, and governments must also stimulate incentives for the energy transition of companies. Technology can help us on this path. A factory can now save 10, 15 or 20% of its energy costs with the help of artificial intelligence. There are great opportunities for entrepreneurs in the fight against climate change.
“I think there is no doubt that automation will reduce the number of jobs for repetitive tasks. Computers will do the work that requires no adjustment or imagination.”
“The change completely affects transport. Self-driving cars are already here. Psychologically it is difficult not to see anyone in the driver’s seat. I was at a company that makes them. I was in the car and the Secret Service was very nervous. 10% of the workforce in the US, and I suppose it will be the same in Spain, work as drivers: taxi drivers, delivery drivers, bus drivers. All those jobs will disappear.
“You can’t deny that automation is going to replace jobs. There will be other new jobs created, but not all of them will be in technology. We will have to rethink. Higher salaries may need to be paid for tasks that cannot be automated, such as teaching. You can take ‘online’ classes, but it always takes a teacher to put a hand on a student’s shoulder and tell them everything will be okay. Or healthcare jobs. Or creative works. machines can’t handle those tasks.”
“Adjustments will be needed. Maybe work 35 hours instead of 40. Tax policy will have to change. The transition to this new scenario will be fast and if you don’t adapt, you will see people who are afraid of losing their jobs. I don’t think we realize how fast these changes are coming.”
“I know a lot of places want to have their Silicon Valley. In the US, we don’t just have Silicon Valley; there are also very dynamic areas in Boston or Texas. And they have some things in common: very powerful research universities; the existence of “venture capital” and a system that allows money to go to new, risky but innovative ideas, the availability of a qualified workforce so that as a company grows, it can hire people quickly, and the last leg: the risk culture. A major advantage of the US is that we’ve attracted a lot of people with that ‘Come and try it’ mentality. Risk should be rewarded and no one is ruined by failure. It’s important to give second chances.”
“Before we left the White House, I asked Michelle what we could do to continue contributing. We both care about the climate, economic justice, inequality… But one thing I’ve learned and she also agrees is that the most important thing we can do is encourage the next generation to take the lead. ”
“All over the world there are incredible young people who are making a difference. Raising children in poor communities, promoting clean energy, helping to resolve racial or religious conflict… The problem is, they don’t get enough support. What we want is to promote and connect young leaders and tell them: we are here to support you. Because many problems during our lifetime will not be solved. When you talk about climate change, peace in the Middle East or nuclear weapons, eight years is nothing. It is now our job to have people who will continue to support our efforts.
» Meeting young people gives you more confidence in the future. They are more educated generations, more innovative, more idealistic, more comfortable with diversity. When you run a business, you have to worry about who will be next, guiding them, helping them, inspiring them.”
Oh, Spain. Michelle comes more often than I do. She comes without me, drinks a lot of wine, sunbathing… I want to come back soon and longer»
«I feel at home in Spain because it is a warm country. I always feel the warmth of the people and the hospitality»
«Retiring in Spain? I was born in Hawaii, it’s very good there too…»
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
