India's cashless transition and the role of the public sector
The transformation of India's economy from cash reliance to digital transactions marks a remarkable departure from trends in Europe and the USA.
As recently as 2019, cash was king in India, with 70% of all trade turnover conducted in banknotes. Fast forward to just three fours later, and this figure has dramatically dropped to 27%. This drastic shift means that now, two out of three payments in India are digital—a significant change for a country where only 20% of the population used the internet in 2018, according to the World Bank.
This contrasts sharply with other nations. While China leads the charge toward a cashless future, Japan and the EU still see a substantial portion of transactions in cash, at 60% and around 50%, respectively. (Source)
Catalysts Behind Digital Payment Adoption
Key to this digital surge is the proliferation of mobile phones and affordable mobile internet. Jio Platforms, for example, cut data costs by 95% since 2013, boosting Indian data consumption twentyfold.
E-Waste Recycling: Addressing the Issue from the Wrong End
As the digital economy expands, so does its technological waste—a critical issue I've been highlighting since 2007. In 2022, a record 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced, marking an 82% increase from 2010. This staggering volume of waste underscores the immense challenge we face. Computers and other devices demand a plethora of resources, including rare earth elements, each new device necessitating further extraction from the Earth. This reality presents a significant environmental dilemma.
Many PC manufacturers tout recycling as a universal solution. Yet, this perspective is not only overly simplistic but also problematic. It shifts the responsibility onto end consumers to manage waste and neglects the fact that no device is fully recyclable, with only 60% of materials potentially recoverable.
The digital history of knowledge management and the advent of ChatGPT
A year has passed since ChatGPT's launch, and amidst the buzz, it's clear that chatbot assistants have significantly impacted the knowledge work domain. Yet, the specifics of where and how they influence remain somewhat nebulous. To gain a clearer understanding, examining the effect of AI bots on knowledge management—a field that has seen modest progress since the advent of the read-write web, or social media—is essential. Given that content creation and sharing are crucial for knowledge management, what role does generative AI play in this process?
Over the past 15 years, I've observed a fascinating trajectory: a journey that began with the celebration of knowledge, transitioned into the data "revolution", and now, perhaps, is circling back to the core essence of knowledge itself.
To fully grasp the potential and implications of large language models like ChatGPT in the realm of knowledge management, considering the objectives of knowledge management and its digital evolution proves helpful.