One of the things I like most about History is that it not only helps us understand the past but also the future. From the moment we perceive the existence of various types of dynamic, concomitant, and changeable societies over time, it becomes clear that we can dream and walk in the direction of an increasingly just and egalitarian society. But not before facing some degree of skepticism.
In 1989, Francis Fukuyama defended liberalism as the last and most finished stage of society, decreeing the "end of history" and denying coming structural changes. In a similar way, about a year ago, when we started talking about Web3, Elon Musk made fun of its existence, as if it were just a buzzword and not something real.
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1473165434518224896?lang=en&embedable=true
But the reality is what it is, regardless of our beliefs. Blockchain and AI are here and there is no going back.
AI is here to stay, even if countries like Italy enact a ban on ChatGPT for data breaches, even if workers cry out that their jobs can be replaced, in the style of the Luddites of the Industrial Revolution who threw themselves against the machines that would take away their jobs.
Even if Musk begs for a truce in accelerated technological development (probably after buying a few thousand GPUS or making deals with Binance), there is no stopping the progress. Web3 is definitely in its infancy, but there's no denying its POTENTIAL anymore.
WEB1, WEB2, WEB3, UTOPIAN WEB OR DYSTOPIAN WEB...
I consider myself lucky to have experienced the technological transition. The first time I had internet at home was at the age of 12 and I remember well the feeling of talking to my friend who lived on the other side of town via MSN, it sounded like magic. At that time Web1 prevailed, a static navigation, full of links, but very useful for those who until then only used libraries and phones.
In my experiences as a teacher, I could already feel the impacts of Web2, especially on the Alpha Generation, which was born in an even more connected world. On the one hand, the inequality of access to the internet, and on the other, a thought conditioned to a new regime of accelerated attention, resulting in difficulties of concentration and learning. Web2 allowed users to participate in the creation and interaction of content, disseminated by social media. With this, people have gained a voice in their niches, and attention has become a desired fuel for large corporations that use and store users' personal data to keep them increasingly engaged with their platforms.
Thus, it's no wonder that Millennials and Gen Z put their disagreements about pants and hair aside to invest in cryptocurrencies (nearly 50% of Gen Z and Millennials invest in cryptocurrencies).
Web3 seems to be aligned with some demands of young people who increasingly value sustainability and social causes. The decentralization of data, which in traditional social media is managed by a few people, is the great improvement of Web3, providing greater control and power to the user. In addition to that, Web3 comes as a concrete possibility of magnifying what until then were experiments and attempts, such as Open Science.
But, as always, it's not all flowers. The accelerated development of technology has stirred our long-held fears. Dystopian scenarios and exploitation of the most vulnerable layers of society seem close when we observe fake news and manipulations of elections and governments in increasingly refined forms digitally; AI discrimination of people by race, class, and gender; amazing creative works that AI provides us with in seconds, relegating itself to any manual labor... However, before we bring a Frankenstein to life, let's dig deeper into the roots of these problems.
Notice, these adversities are not coming from technology. If humanity had the potential to develop another sector other than the Web, it could still turn development against itself, as it has done in other turbulent times – the atomic bomb is perhaps the most iconic example. There is a superstructure that only changes if the structure that supports it balances, and we can think of Web3 as being one of these pillars. That said, it's no coincidence that Blockchain rose shortly after the 2008 capital crisis.
AFTER ALL, WHAT'S AT STAKE?
For Marx, the totality of the relations of production, that is, the stage of development of the material productive forces, forms the economic structure of a society, its base. The juridical, political, religious, philosophical, and social forms - the consciousness of men - are part of a superstructure delineated from the base. At a certain moment, the material productive forces of society contradict the relations of production hitherto in existence, which become impediments to achieving the full potential of development generated. It is in these moments that great social transformations take place, through crises, conflicts, and revolutions. From the development of the productive forces, in the economic base, new social forms originate, with relations of production that conform to the material conditions generated.
What does this have to do with Web3? In the current phase of capitalism, the list of the greatest billionaires on the planet includes well-known names in technology such as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. These people are some of those who own the networks that store the most personal data of users, which Web3 intends to decentralize. In addition to that, decentralized finance through blockchain networks has everything to weaken the monopoly of the big banks as well. In other words, we are reaching a degree of technological development that no longer fits into the existing private relations of production. On the contrary, the existing relations of production begin to hinder further developments.
What about the other pillars of the structure? Since the crisis of 2008/2009, U.S. industrial production has been stagnant, failing to surpass the previous peak of 2002/2009. In fact, U.S. and world market industrial manufacturing output over the past year have been plummeting, particularly in the durable goods sector and individual means of consumption, including food, while at the same time the U.S. Defense and Aerospace sector expands. To recover their rate of profit, the capitalists depend on the continuous exploitation and impoverishment of the working class, which in these conditions tends to generate widespread dissatisfaction. These are indications that something is happening with the current relations of production. Although it is characteristic of capitalism to go through cyclical crises (involving hunger, unemployment, and war), these moments harbor the necessary conditions for fundamental changes in society, always accompanied by the flourishing of technical advances.
POSSIBILITIES
Web3 certainly plays a central role in this scenario. It has the potential to be an instrument of emancipation, depending on how it is used. The large corporations that centralize user data these days are racing to further develop AI, the metaverse, and in general, to somehow incorporate Web3. And although a conciliation between Web2 and Web3 seems paradoxical, we must remember that decentralization itself does not immediately imply the non-interference of third parties or the non-dominance of a few. Starting with the negotiations and acquisitions that are already taking place between large companies and brands in the metaverse, while part of the population is not even aware of this mechanism.
Moreover, people's wills can be geared to the interests of large corporations in the real world, since the existence of a virtual realm will never be isolated. Just as our mind needs our body as a vehicle, AI needs our body and mind – and this should be remembered every time we feel doubts about who is in control. Web3 should not be feared but disputed. Your space and your command must be aligned with a future where technological advances are in people's favor, or, as Brecht would say:
your new machines will represent nothing but new means of oppression. With time you may discover all that is to be discovered, and your progress will only be a progression away from mankind.