After four enriching days, Atresmedia and laSexta closed yesterday the “Metafuturo International Congress” at the Ateneo de Madrid. After having political protagonists such as the Mayor of Madrid Martínez-Almeida, Yolanda Díaz and Teresa Ribera or from companies like Samsung or Cepsa, yesterday it was the turn of the international guests reserved to close in style. But it was also the occasion to take stock of the whole week, by the CEO of Atresmedia Javier Bardají. In his speech, he shared the pride of the entire group for “having collaborated to curb ‘futurophobia’, shedding light on a horizon that is uncertain but fascinating.” He also outlined the main lines of what a “sustainable television” should be, making use of one of the star concepts of this congress: “Today’s television must help to dismantle ‘fake news’, promote diversity and give a voice to minorities”. In this way, the leading television group once again made clear “its commitment to the truth and to the viewers.” As a message to those who already believe that it is too late for change and who have lost faith in a sustainable world, Bardají reaffirmed that “we are in time to be the best ancestors for the next generations.”
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak he resorted to his privileged experience in the world of technology to warn of its threats facing the future and the new business paradigm. For him it is essential that “companies design disruption departments to seek alternatives and new ways of thinking.” He also claimed “the right to access to quality broadband so that everyone can be connected and no one is left behind.” Together with him, the CEO of Telefónica José María Álvarez-Pallete He intervened admitting that he is also concerned about the content that circulates through said broadband and emphasized data traffic. For him “personal data is part of the identity of each citizen, which on many occasions is being expropriated without any type of balanced compensation.” Álvarez-Pallete wanted to go further and reflected on the double standards we use when accepting conditions in the digital world that we would never allow in the physical world, such as geolocation or access to private documentation. «We would never accept that the postman read our letters, but we accept that an algorithm or artificial intelligence read our emails», deepened. For him, the time has come to realize that both our digital profile and our physical consumer profile consist of the same identity, “since we only have one life and we must protect it.”
Although both agreed that Europe is no longer at the forefront of innovation, Wozniak acknowledged that “I always look to Europe to learn how they measure the impact of technological advances on society.” The Apple co-founder, resigned to accepting his label as one of the fathers of the current technological landscape, did not avoid being self-critical: “Sometimes I think that the architects of the digital revolution should be held accountable”, he said yesterday causing the laughter of the assistants. Wozniak, who mentioned the figure of Steve Jobs on several occasions, lamented “the high price we pay allowing us to have less and less control of our data on the Internet.”
In the equator of the day yesterday it was the turn of the intervention of the documentalist and activist against climate change Celine Cousteauwho spoke with the anthropologist and professor Juan Luis Arsuaga under the moderation of gonzo. Cousteau regretted that “Human beings don’t act until their back is against the wall. Now, when we talk about climate change, it may be late. The problem is that we don’t think about tomorrow, we stay in the now.
The climax was carried out by the conversation between the journalist Ana Pastor and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Ressa. Both Bardají and Pastor praised the commendable journalistic work of the Filipino activist, whose work goes beyond communication. The denunciation of her around the world has cost her more than a dozen judicial processes, as Ana Pastor recalled, but still for Ressa “everything is worth it”. During their conversation, Ana Pastor was seen emotional, especially when her partner narrated the obstacles she continues to encounter in carrying out her work: «As a journalist you become a kind of pest if you say certain things at the wrong time, but history has already told us demonstrated that silence becomes an accomplice.
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