Page 380

REVISTA IEEE 9

http://revista.ieee.es/index.php/ieee 382382 Journal of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies Núm. 9 / 2017 of large digital monopolies was allowed and promoted in a turn of events that was remarkable to say the least. Obviously, economic considerations played a considerable role, but it is more than likely that universal access to data from billions of “subscribers” also played its part in the decision. The book does not go so far as to analyse how hyperconnectivity is affecting our way of life. Ubiquity and immediacy are essential requirements in the 21st century. I want it all, and I want it now I was the chorus sung by Queen 18 years ago now: a refrain that has become a way of understanding the life of the generation born at the time. Universal and instant access to everything has come to be considered as a human right, while the culture of effort, planning, patience and sustained illusion has lagged behind. That same ubiquity that broadens our daily horizons also makes the value of proximity more relative. The contemporary human being has the apparent ability to individualise his life more than at any other time in history. You can generate as many groups, as many gangs as you want to attend to every aspect of your life, but at the same time, each of these groups is increasingly locked in the reaffirmation of their own beliefs with a form of uncritical thinking that seeks no more than applause and “likes” from as many Internet users as possible. The last pages of “The Fifth Element” bring us closer to a dystopian future with Orwellian overtones. 2017 seems to be rapidly resembling 1984; the difference being that what in Orwell’s novel was imposed by a tyrannical state is now incorporated into our lives at our own expense. The book offers numerous examples of how communications and data are being monitored – through geolocation primarily, but also with systems that rely on facial recognition or consumer behaviour - based on technologies that we acquire, enable and use voluntarily every day. Not only is our very being affected by digital technologies, cyberspace has also become the preferred setting for social relationships. The way in which these develop differs substantially from traditional relationships. Man continues to be the centre of gravity of social and political relations, but the role he plays in them is fundamentally different. The incorporation into cyberspace of billions of connected objects, which has been called the internet of things, will exponentially increase the centralised control of our decisions - or at least influence over them – by whoever controls digital content. In this scenario, cities become intelligent population nodes. Rural life practically disappears from the image of the future if it does not remain connected. Everything is regulated by algorithms that optimise the available options. Still at an embryonic stage at the time of publication of the book, in recent months autonomous cars have begun to make an impression as a clear alternative in the medium term. Their decisions will also be guided by the best option for passers-by, even if it is a less than satisfactory alternative for the passenger. Will it be necessary to redefine Asimov’s laws of robotics? The central chapters of the book provide the reader with multiple illustrations of criminality, terrorism, and war in the field of cyber-security. The three aspects,

REVISTA IEEE 9
To see the actual publication please follow the link above