MSE422
Course taken at waterloo.
Course website:
Marsha argues that technology has worsened inequality within LDCs by disproportionately benefiting large firms and skilled workers while leaving behind small businesses and unskilled labourers since they are getting replaced by automation and AI. Technology has shifted profits toward capital owners, displaced workers, and contributed to a decline in labour protections such as unions and collective bargaining. Marsha also emphasizes that technology has created a bigger digital divide, where only a small portion of people in LDCs have internet access, exacerbates inequality by limiting access to education, finance, and healthcare.
While her analysis accurately captures many of the structural problems facing LDCs, I disagree with her largely pessimistic interpretation. In practice, technology has also opened doors for inclusion and development. For example, mobile banking in Kenya and e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia show that digital innovation can empower low-income communities and small entrepreneurs. Furthermore, automation, when paired with appropriate education and policy support, can lead to the creation of new types of jobs rather than simply eliminating old ones which are repetitive and tedious. Therefore, while Marsha is right to highlight the dangers of unequal access, her argument overlooks the transformative potential of technology to narrow inequality when governments and international bodies actively promote digital literacy and inclusive infrastructure. Of course, this requires governments to actively promote digital literacy, but it seems like this is the case, as if countries do not, they will get left behind. Platforms like Starlink that provide internet globally also help towards this goal.