Pax Technica

The Internet of Things

Within a few years, a “world of connected devices” will surround you and just about everyone else. This Internet of Things (IoT) will go beyond computers and phones – which function in the wired world as intended – to include all manner of personal, household and other goods, such as clothing and appliances, all working in a connected network that is invisible to the individual user. People won’t experience the IoT directly. Instead, objects will communicate and operate without humans knowing it. No one knows how many devices the IoT will link together, but given that Earth’s population in 2020 will be some eight billion people, a good estimate might include three or four “connected devices” for each person. Information technology is now central to all aspects of life. People must work with it to create the future they want.

The Internet of Things will produce the “Pax Technica” – a historical period during which “institutions and network devices” will tie the private and public sectors together in the areas of defense, design, standards and data use. This model will transform governments from “representative systems” to “sociotechnical ...