Experts Weigh in on the Benefits and Harms of Digital Change and Examine the Future of Global Digital Governance
In early 2023 experts were asked to predict the best and worst of digital change by 2035 in regard to human rights, governance, knowledge, health and well-being; in a second canvassing (to be published in 2024), the experts will be asked to weigh in on the future of Internet and digital governance
In 2023, we are hosting our 16th and 17th canvassings of experts since the early 2000s. We are asking them to share their thoughts in answer to two big questions. The first report, “Experts Predict the Best and Worst Changes in Digital Life By 2035,” is available now. The second canvassing, an exploration of the future of Internet and digital governance, will be fielded in August 2023 and the report with analysis will be published in early 2024. Each report contains thousands of expert predictions regarding the likely evolution of humans and digital technologies in an age of accelerating change.
Please scroll down the page to find introductory details.
Report 1: ‘Experts Predict the Best and Worst Changes in Digital Life By 2035‘ – Released June 21, 2023
The content for this report was gathered in a canvassing of experts conducted in early 2023 by Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center and Pew Research Center. They were asked to predict the best and worst of digital change by 2035. This report shares thousands of predictions in reply to the following question:
We seek your insights about the future impact of digital change. As you look ahead to 2035, what are the best and most beneficial changes, and what are the most harmful and menacing changes that are likely to occur in digital technology and humans’ use of digital systems? We are particularly interested in your thoughts about how developments in digital technology and humans’ uses of it might improve human-centered development of digital tools and systems; human connections, governance and institutions; human rights; human knowledge; and human health and well-being.
More than a third, 37%, said they were more concerned than excited about the digital change to come by 2035, and 42% said they were equally concerned and excited about what they expected to see as they imagine the next decade-plus; 79% expressed a fairly large degree of worry over how current digital trends might influence daily life in the near future, also saying they do expect significant new benefits due to digital change in the years to come.
Read the report for full details.