Once we leave behind the era of Big Data, a new day begeins—a period of monumental shifts not just in technology, but also in our conceptual understanding of life, business, education and society itself.
The term “Big Data” has become almost cliché, a catch-all phrase for an overwhelming amount of information. But as we proceed, the era of Big Data is being superseded by something far more transformative: an age where data doesn’t just inform but alters the very rules of engagement across multiple spheres of human activity.
Yuval Noah Harari, the historian and philosopher, posits that organisms could be viewed as “biological algorithms.” If that’s the case, then data isn’t just another form of capital; it’s the universal currency that could potentially encode everything from the stock market’s fluctuations to the genetic sequences that make us who we are.
The only rule that seems to govern this new landscape is that there are no limits to what can be connected, transformed, or combined. Data will become as integral to our lives as electricity or water, offering a kind of utility that goes beyond mere convenience. It will be a necessity, for shaping our lifestyles and also our identities.
As we evolve in this new paradigm, the term “citizen” will take on an additional layer of meaning. We’ll be citizens of a global data ecosystem. Our rights, responsibilities, and even our social standing could be influenced by how we interact with, and contribute to, this new form of social currency.