如何让信息革命造福每个人？

如何让信息革命造福每个人？

人们就科技对社会的影响的争论似乎是永无止境的，科技带来新的就业和经济增长，也带来了许多社会问题。或许通过使用这四种方法，企业能够使每个人在信息变革时代受益。

测试中可能遇到的词汇和知识：

artificialintelligence人工智能

dilemma困境 [dɪ'lemə]

conundrum难题；谜语[kə'nʌndrəm]

empower授权，允许；使能够[ɪm'paʊə]

augmented增广的；扩张的[ɔːɡ'mentɪd]

spoilage损坏['spɒɪlɪdʒ]

Four ways business can help everyone in the digital revolution（441 words）

By Amanda Mackenzie

There seems to be an endless and anxious debate under way about the effects of technology on society — whether the topic is brick-laying robots, stockpicking computer programs, unevenly distributed benefits or privacy concerns. Yet, at the same time, some estimates suggest the digital economy is creating jobs faster than any other sector, and that artificial intelligence could greatly boost productivity.

Even as technology transforms how we work and live, it is clear that not everyone is equipped to benefit.

Society faces a dilemma: how to reap the economic and social benefits of digital transformation while mitigating the unintended harmful consequences.

Business is uniquely placed to address this conundrum. For the past year, the UK charity Business in the Community, helped by Accenture Strategy, the consultancy, has been assessing how to ensure people can participate more equally in the digital revolution.

We have identified four priorities for businesses wanting to help make the transformation inclusive.

1.Businesses should protect, support and empower ever-growing numbers of online customers. Few people want to do business with companies that do not protect their privacy, so one way to build trust might be to give customers greater control over their data.

Making services accessible to the 16 per cent of UK adults without the skills to buy goods online would ensure all customers benefit from the digital economy. Barclays Bank, for instance, has trained 16,000 “digital eagles”, who help customers improve their digital skills and their confidence.

2.Employers must address the changing nature of work. They will need a skilled yet adaptable workforce ready to be retrained several times.

Companies will also need to anticipate automation and not fear it. Instead, responsible businesses will use tech to complement their workers' activities. Rio Tinto, the miner, gives its truck drivers caps with sensors that detect a wearer's alertness, reducing the rate of accidents caused by fatigue. Airbus is triallingsmartglasses that use augmented reality to improve productivity and safety.

3.Responsible businesses will use technology to develop products that serve society. This can help us use and reuse resources more sustainably, through shared platforms. It is also creating new collaborations: for example, the National Health Service's partnership with Tinder, the online dating app, is raising awareness about organ donation among young people.

4.Technology can create more efficient, transparent and ethical supply chains. Walmart is trialling how blockchain technology can help to improve supply chain logistics by getting food into stores faster, thereby reducing spoilage and waste.

The digital revolution has potential to make things better for everyone. Business can take a lead in this charge.

The writer is chief executive of Business in the Community