The world will never be the same again

It beats me that the world had to wait for a deadly virus to adopt technology on a massive scale and change business models.

While the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) was already happening, with big tech global companies being the drivers, most governments, organisations and companies were still stuck on traditional thinking patterns, which they loved because of convenience.

Most governments were also dragging their feet in implementing digital policies and projects, as they did not clearly understand how the power of emerging technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, big data, virtual reality, 5G, 3D printing, robotics and cloud computing can transform key sectors like health, education, transport, finance, communication and agriculture. But a virus came and changed all that.

The convenience of going to workplaces, the responsibility of taking children to school, the faith of attending religious services, the pleasure of travelling across the world for global conferences, the contentment of accumulating bank notes and the hobby of visiting malls for shopping were all erased from human brains.

DIGITAL ECONOMY

Three months after Covid-19 began sweeping through the world, a New World Order has been birthed, where contact between persons is prohibited, transport across borders banned, mass gatherings dreaded and workplaces no-go zones.

The new order is just what every nation needed. I see the virus as a catalyst that will propel the digital economy to greater heights, even after it has been contained.

You are now used to ordering goods via e-commerce platforms, attending Zoom meetings, working remotely, using digital payments and streaming church services online.

Once the virus is gone, will you prefer going back to your life before the virus? Yes, for those in toxic relationships, but no company will want to spend any extra shilling for a service that can be delivered from home, as global economies will be struggling to unchain themselves from the strong recession shackles.

FOSTER INNOVATIONS

People will have to get used to the new life, considering that the socio-economic and political environment of the future will depend on automation and tech solutions that will get more advanced as the decade grows older.

What, now for, Kenya? We must start seeing the government spearheading and financing innovations around e-learning, telemedicine, agritech and, ultimately, lifting ban on drones, lowering cost of internet and scrapping tax on mobile phones to boost digital inclusion.

Life after the coronavirus will be even more tech-oriented, and we must prepare for it now.

Mr Ngila is a journalist at NMG. @faustination