Philip Lay's Advice to Technologists: Stop Disrupting, Start Engaging

In a thought-provoking recent article on his personal site, commentator and strategy adviser Philip Lay admonished the technology industry to stop disrupting and start engaging.  He points to the populist dissatisfaction with technology-enabled globalization, the Brexit vote, the rise of Donald Trump in the USA and the general level of geo-political and social-economic instability around the world.  He encourages tech companies to do more to support local growth and skills development, to partner with local and national governments and focus on collaboration and inclusiveness. 

Lay talks about the impact that technology companies have had on society through the disruption of existing industries, done without regard for the social impact and unintended consequences of the changes.  He states that: 

An increasingly likely outcome from continuing to adopt an uppity attitude toward the industries and workers whose livelihooods tech companies are disrupting will be a backlash against tech that could cause new anti-trust style regulations and other legal constraints on tech companies’ ability to dominate certain industries...

He gives the example of the backlash against Uber in many jurisdictions as the type of action which could become widespread and result in severe restrictions on what technology companies will be permitted to do under potentially draconian legislation.

He says:

In summary, more than three decades of globalized commerce operating on inconsistent regulations and practices, poorly resolved economic and financial crises such as the almost-Armageddon of 2008, the increasing digital divide caused by advances in information technology unaccompanied by advances in education or governance, have resulted in increased inequality between nations, sectors of society, employees and business leaders, haves and have-nots, knows and know-nots – all of these factors have led us to where we are today.

He goes on to state that the remedy is for technology to become an engine of equality, not eliteism. He presents a list of imperitives- things that technologists need to consider in the civic sphere as they apply new tools and techniques:

1. Start by eliminating the Disrupt mantra from your rhetoric, and start embracing the concept of Engaging with all users, workers and customers within your global universe, as well as with government and other authorities
2. Think about all of the implications of major technology innovations, and seek to increase their benefits while also neutralizing their possible downsides
3. Align your programs closely with those of the government
4. Reduce cost-based outsourcing offshore to an absolute minimum, substituting it with a focus on productivity
5. Establish scholarships in community and technical colleges for operational roles
6. Collaborate with government and police initiatives in cybersecurity