My name is on and see, and im a philosopher, you can feel it everywhere. The vacuum created by societys greatest unanswered questions. How do we stop Global Warming . How can the worlds growing population live together in peace . How do we behave responsibly in the digital age and control technologies that give us god like abilities . I ask myself, who bears the responsibility for our future . Is it states big corporations . Are we individually responsible to find answers . Im going on a voyage of discovery along for the ride, monterey conte. Great thinker on the subject of responsibility. Certainly ahead of his time. What is con . Have to tell us in the 21st century the over 3 centuries ago, the age of enlightenment began, bringing with progress, reason and human rights. Today, these achievements are at risk. So we need a new enlightenment, the 21st century. The for me, home is more than just a place. Its about shared values to i left the city of my birth, vienna edit, early age. As a university student, i went to paris and to london, new york and l. A. For work. Today i live in zurich with my family. Thats partly why i became a philosopher to question these values. And as a father, now more than ever. What i do now also affects a world far away from my own. The world of myself on that is future. Considering all this, how can i take responsibility and to act morally . Wootton, by the bye to most of the shelves. Almost 250 years ago. A philosopher asked the same question. Tunics book, 1794. For 45 am. It is time 70. I assessed his mazda boys at the same time each day, using the same words. Then at 5 oclock shop, 2 cups of tea in his daily routine, a creature of habit, in spirit, a revolutionary and in lice would sink upon him on will accounts with the inspiration behind the you in charge of the gym and constitution and the you, the son of a honda snake, a cont, was born in 1724. Is this a, was, is enlightenment shows this the way out about self include in maturity we can think for ourselves, follow reason an act wisely the would come to an enlightenment. Thinkers of the 18th century didnt foresee this exit from a maturity, had unexpected consequences. It made humans the congress of nature, the Climate Change can be viewed as the natural conclusion of the intense taking a logical and scientific exploitation of the will. Which itself was a part of the vision in lightning, had for humanity, the expectation of the Natural World making nature into something to be known and exploited. For the sake of human is complex and well the still, the question is not just about who bears responsibility for that, which weve already done, but also for our future, the city window stuff possible. So the stone position is the same also because its tied by as a possible and we leave now, we live in a trap of the present day. Everything that will happen in the short term seems to be much more important than the long term. So the Constitutional Court ruling said, its nice to set long term goals, but if you dont act now, it will be disproportionately difficult for further generations on to achieve those goals. It needs to be clear of who the responsible ones, all over a long time period. Our world today seems to need institutions to wrap our knuckles and make it clear. You cant simply pass the responsibility on to future generations. According to con, it didnt have to come to this in the 18th century, much of the world was ruled by kings and improves. They derive their power until 30 from god. Those who rebuild against the faith had to contain the design. Then come to destroy soul with the single revolutionary ideas. It is not going to live his judgment for greece, and that is the ability to recognize universally valid principles and an act in accordance with the monsters of reason, make their own laws to live by humans. A creation by nature to be mature, to reason with free, yet responsible for all actions the human zurich, the company that makes so its money by assuming responsibility for others is with re one of the Worlds Largest re insurers. They insure the Insurance Companies for things that are too risky. Like damage caused by terrorist attacks or natural disasters. Its a business that rarely makes headlights get wheels great power. All sectors of the economy depend on it. What i find fascinating is that re ensures act like a barometer for the planets future. Well just changing. And when i think sustainability Climate Change is going to be as example um, we need to understand how or trying to understand how the world is changing. What that means for risk and the connection was re, insurance, is that we must fulfill that role of, of taking peoples risk and covering them in case of extreme events. What are the main risks going to pay for people and companies in 10203050100 years . Is it tomorrow . Uh, incentive to or an ethical incentive to say like a, we work with Certain Companies and we dont work with other companies. Or is it a strictly economic one . Its price. We fundamentally believe that if we dont apply sustainability principles throughout business, that we will not be financially viable. The model of your is, um, ill give you an example. Well take a topic like so well call wasting speaking about Climate Change and, and exclude certain things from a business. And we, we do that with the full knowledge that uh, we sacrifice probably some, some premiums, some money. When roughly, would you say that this, this shift start is a critical trigger. Moment in time was 2015 with the paras agreement. And thats when most countries signed up to, to commit to buy. I buy 2050. This is low calvin world, and we committed at the same time to do this. And theres really a wave of more or more insurers and ranchers that is sticking away from covering several coal. For example. One of the things that um, very much discussed in more through lots of fee, but also in political theories with a way to just change that is necessary that needs needs to occur in terms of uh, with regards to Climate Change, but also other topics. Whether its even doable within this economic system, that is so much like focused on growth. What are the chances and what are the reasons to believe that this, this well will still be in trouble in the future and, and if its doable within this economic system, i agree in this current system, the world is not behaving or acting sustainably with the future in mind, lee, i would say we need to uh, we need to revisit how we, how we measure success. This is my personal opinion then and, and is g d pays this one measure of success appropriate is gross without limits. Realistic as a biologist, i would say it isnt the so its no longer just a question of whether its morally right to do something about Climate Change. Its also a purely rational economic issue. Then why do we find it so difficult to change our behavior . We dont want to change our lives that i think the most important issue is were still trying to Seek Solutions from a place of convenience instead of conviction. The professor con, wouldnt let us get away with that. Hed give us a stern look and quiz us about the categorical imperative. His guidelines for proper conduct acts only according to that maximum by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law. A complicated sentence with an incredible reasoning behind people have very preferences and interests. So can they be judged using a uniform model stand . It comp says they can. It looks like this before you actually consider 1st what you want. Theres no way to require everyone to behave this way. Take Climate Change, for example, flying on holidays 3 times a year. Sounds nice. But what i also want it to become lower, that everyone must admit this much c o 2. So it makes sense, which is why the categorical imperative clearly states it will be a model for us to act this way is the for conte, the matter was clear. But the world of the 18th century was also a much more static dynamic process as like Climate Change, which in a matter of years can make places unlivable for centuries, were unknown back then. So what would constitute today . Protest would credit to one bank, right . Petitions to the u. N. Or found a tech started . Well, im not against technology. What im against is believing technology is the Silver Bullet solution. You have to look at the philosophy of science. We have to question who owns technology, who controls it and to what use it is. The here in the unassuming foothills of the alps, sweets inventors have built the equivalent of a huge vacuum cleaner to capture c o. 2 energy generated and a waste incineration plant, drives the fans which help filter Carbon Dioxide out of the air. The c o 2 and then be stored under ground among the celtic rocks where it turns to stone or used in a greenhouse to make plants grow faster. Sounds almost too good to be true. How big it to you as well . There are 2 main ways to filter c o 2 from yeah, in by planting trees and direct the capture by comparing them now with the land area currently available to forest. Wed need 3 planets. What can we climb at target . We just on half that with this, were about 400. 00 times more efficient. Thats one of the voltage for the solution and resisting dave. How many of these would we really need to make an impact on our climate problem . No problem, thats the, thats the problem. As or on, on, on, so actually using current technology, or he probably need about a 1000000 units of this size unless thats roughly the number of containers, the cost through shanghai, hot button 2 and a half weeks of pain on the in sign id go from. So technically, an infrastructure wise is what gets doable for the in, for support says must box and gave me the good file on the says, how do you deal with the risk that what youre doing could give some industries Carte Blanche to keep producing c o 2 and you dont find me knowing that they can just remove it later they pulled, its in also be the offer. Theyll be able to see. And i think i have 2 answers for that. I know one is that it is im gonna probably be always be more costly to get c o 2 houses. Yeah. But not to admit it in the 1st place in some sectors such as ada shouldnt simply not possible designing movie. So we absolutely need Something Like this album came up so to me to climate targets. We know both by you this and its part of the one question keeps cropping up and worrying me is back conscious discipline. Who can afford this . Me see this awesome. What about the non industrialized countries as seen in the north, and so the, those were the victims of this Climate Change caused by industrialized nation. So i was thinking of on this, some im and so the power as agreement specifically mandates that the industrialized nations should lead to why . Because they have the highest level of Emissions Per Capita and historically, to store. So we must be the one thats to pay the price. Its on the me, im on my way to the us, the heartland of modern capitalism. And perhaps the country with the greatest faith in technology and progress. My 1st stop, new york city the, the headquarters of the United Nations can be found here. The organization of International Cooperation. Ready their problem, it can be seen in the paras agreement itself. Ready ready the organization cant get the ball rolling and force the issue. According to con, International Cooperation only works it all parties are equal and already act morally on their own accord. Exactly a 150 years before the founding of the you and con, to published his philosophical sketch perpetual peace. In 1795 and your whole was raging every way. At the end of the 18th century french revolutionaries force against the allied want of seas. Austria, prussia, bruce and spain and the netherlands in this grim setting comp sketches has the vision for world peace on board for a populace that incorporates old people in the cost of the product legal order. Then as it would be today, utopia which laid the foundation for Martin International and the un child. So the aisle iowa molly as an ide, jerry and lawyer, poet and recipient of a u. S. Peace messenger award. She follows an african philosophy of how we humans can live together in harmony. Something that has quite a bit in common with con wow. The, i want to learn more. So i have arranged a video call with her from new york. Hi, how are you . Good to good to see you. Can you hear me . Hi, im a wonderful, you know i, i just checked because its one of my favorite quotes concept of the crooked timber of humanity. No stray thing was ever made. You know, because he was, he wasnt the way um, very optimistic about reason, but very pessimistic with regards to how he felt about humanity. You think its just that were simply not capable of acting responsible um towards us. Yeah, so it comes with this issue of 2 reasons because thats, thats what makes us very unique. Yeah, well, let me ask you mind top unit by called russian. I do just want to know that she will she be responsible to one another and respect you might need to because we dont understand that. But oh, i forgot if i wasnt the find them in, in south africa last year when i was talking and i told them that way is your own go to and wayne, well talk about what it means that you are as important as i am. So im not thinking of myself alone. I cover you alone collaborates because we know we have connected is that into clinic to meet, thats for the who does what over to me, the good. Yes you talk of in like means technologies, science, age of reasoning, mental pre dom and all that good side of and that to minutes. What about the downside . The like minutes of to days should be in to it should be brother who should been know, it should be concerned non violent. Thats why i said, i consider myself. And let me see because were fixing on violence. Because whats the, i dont know, youre not emotionally emphasizes an aspect underestimated by those of the enlightenment. The role of emotions, empathy, and equality. We know today is that people without emotions, for example, people who is venturing medial cortex has been injured by an accident. And therefore, who is emotional brain so to speak, has been injured. We know that these people cannot really make rational decisions, showing that in fact, in motion and reason need to be really closely integrated for us to make a rational decision. The emotions have also played a major role in my life decisions. They drove me to leave my birth place to be in, to set off in search of new experiences time. And again, this time, theyre taking me to l. A. The American Dream for told in the us as the declaration of independence, as the unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness, sounds innocent enough, but it was something of a blueprint for motoring us capitalism. Because the pursuit of happiness is 1st and foremost about the individual. Not the common good some succeed while others fall by the wayside. Is that just the price of innovation and progress . Conte wouldnt of like that at all. In the bay area home to Silicon Valley, cradle of the digital revolution. Unfortunately, Big Tech Companies here arent so interested in conte, in regards to their practices and the common good. Its all about growth, profit and power. Without regards to others, thats a field and how it can lead to people limiting the possibilities of others to deliberately keep those moving. And on that you can also do that to make them a dependent to a certain degree english cut reader, rama swami came to the us from india to work as a computer programmer. Here he made one of the worlds most profitable big tech friends, even richer. He spent 15 years at google eventually becoming the Senior Vice President of advertising and commerce department, which today generates more than 200000000000. 00 a year and revenue. And then he quit and founded me the new search engine. Why . With this, you have a particular office and i have a spot. So this is my, this is my desk. I of course have to take a picture of the books to read the right. Uh, i read a lot. Im a fine of the streets, no final thoughts and will is no part of the vitamin government. And he was a part of the reason big changes to anti trust that the vitamin administration announced is the columbia professor. We definitely have to talk about it, how groups Work Together . How do you motivate people . Thats also one of their huge topic. Were off to 3 darts, favorite valley, get away. Im doing some sight seeing along the way. Go to take the next takes it. This is google line by the way, um, pretty much all of these buildings that are on here on the, uh uh, you know, on our list are real soon beyond our leased by google. So this is apple parkway. It is a, it is a giant circle on facebook is in front of us. This has been facebook headquarters for the longest time. They used to be in paulo alto before they moved here. I think more than 10 years ago, which one is mark so i can fix car. I wish i knew. So, i mean, working at google and building up the most profitable departments. Im sure your end well, so how come said at one point you felt like a im satisfied or critical about the company for much of the time . Certainly the 1st 10 years. I was as much hungry about cold for the company. For myself, lets face it as everybody else. Once i started name up because i wanted there to be a direct association between you as a customer and what the product that we dont do as we dont do affiliate links. And we dont sell the data, move on to our customers to pay for our product. The more people realize that what is free is not really free. They are indeed the product. The more i think people will be dirty. Its just a personal dimension. But theres also call it a political one. The Silicon Valley for the most part, does not give them the any, any history, you know, they didnt learn the lessons of oppression data and learn that there were actually people with bad intent. They didnt learn the lessons of germany about how information can be used as a weapon. And so in combination with a world view that was like ones no use. But uh, you know, with also access to literally billions of people who is really these kinds of issues that made me question sort of what i was a part on whether i wanted to continue being. And mostly i left google because i wanted the reset button. And i wanted to re think how products could be created to capitalise and you believe that building invent thing creating a better product, has the capacity of changing the market. In general, it is only if governments continue to do their job as the rest of the lot of data, respective areas, expecting companies to be responsible even especially then that responsibility needs to happen after they hit a certain sites. I just dont think companies are capable of doing this, a companys done, spotted shareholders and its employees. The vanishingly small number of people. The job of government is to create a Playing Field in which competition can prize. Even if that means breaking these companies off because they got too big, or either somebody about people worry about things like Banking Companies on i honestly do not understand why its such a big deal. In fact, you know, breaking up a d n t lead to the modern mobile uh, you know, an internet deal. Good things happen. I think we have created an environment, especially in the United States or the last 50 years. Itd be helpful honestly believe that uncontrolled capitalism will solve problems. I think we have a more divided society, more about the new quality than ever before the so in light into the 21st century, it has to take into account 2 things. One is the power of capitalism. Its sinister ability to turn even good things and turn us of course, into commodities. And secondly, unleashing of technological power that in various ways, has the power to harm us and harm the earth. In. Lots of things come sans was one of the mottoes or was that one should dare to think so for human life, many was not a certain period of time, but it wasnt, it wasnt obligation to once present. Would you say that the, the things youre doing or you, your cravings, within this tradition of open life meant also in the sense of the optimism you have for the future use. I actually think the Silicon Valley because of its shark memory in many ways exemplifies stuff or we think certainly i think the best is ahead of me that is the optimistic side of Silicon Valley that innovation can make a difference, that people can make a difference. And so i think from that perspective, i can totally relate to what youre saying about. For example, you know, we trust the, i really felt a sense of optimism but ultimately pushed the reset button. Once again. After our interview, his company was swallowed up in the a i boom that followed. The reader sold his company neva to a 5000000000. 00 conglomerate and wrote, there is no longer a path towards creating a Sustainable Business and consumer search. The. Im on my way to meet a journalist who has followed the emergence of tech giants from the start in critical articles for the Washington Post wall street journal and new york times. Back when the bosses of tesla, facebook and youtube were Still College kids. This is kara swisher, theres a reason Silicon Valleys tech building there, as are all a bit scared of her these days. She has their own pod cast to hi everyone. This is pivot from new York Magazine and the box Media Podcast Network on cares which are how do they know kara swisher believes in the positive potential of Technological Progress about this company . A lot of it does that mean shes carrying on the legacy of the enlightenment. Ready nice thats just jump driving. So i guess one of the main topics or one of your main interest, and i mean the account dependency. Why . Since such an urgent issue copies now with the, with regards to tyco Tech Companies. Right now, the people who are running these technologies are largely private companies, some of the richest people on the planet, in the history of the planet. And theres almost no account ability. They cant be fired, they cant, they can make whatever decision they want. And theyre, theyre what they make and fix every body. And so its critically important that we begin to make the links between what theyre doing, the damage and the cause and accountability. We need to demand from the some people say that the problem is that the social networks are polarizing us, the but thats the role clear from the evidence or Research Organization was rising in america long before social networks were even invented. The others claim that algorithms, the content that makes assigned readings looks good for business, but thats not accurate. Why do you think people, what theyre doing . And theres a very famous french philosopher, let me read you. Its kind of interesting. I just was transfer. Those are for the yes, by you that your area of and its my area of its paul of really you when you invent the ship, you also invent the ship wreck when you invent the play. And you also invent the plane crash when you invent electricity invent electrocution every technology carries its own negativity, which is invented at the same time as tech, technical progress. Well, they didnt forgot about the shipwrecked part. They need to understand the shipwreck parts. And unfortunately, the been a lot of shipwrecks, right . When you see Tech Companies developing from here, youre kind of figure out how to make this a more Equitable Society or more people have access to good information. Or youre going to have to armor plate your tests. And if you tell these kind of things to take seals and the people that actually shape our youth impression that they because some of i mean, you know, since since decades. Yeah. Right. Um, do you think uh, do you have the impression that they base stop listening one of the things, one of the more interesting interviews i had with marker, we have this back and forth were and i said, what do you, what do you, how do you feel about what happened in my in mar, with the people because you had such a shoddy system there. There was killings and i said, you know what . I think weve got to put up our sleeves and fix the problem. And i was like, yeah, but like, how do we get here . Well, yeah, but i say, im an engineer as i get in there as a well engineers do get in there and find out what they did wrong. He was like, well, you know, i just wanted, you know, i just wanna figure it out and move forward and we all need to Work Together. Now go community when, when is a problem and theyre all for themselves when its not so nice that you know what, i dont mean to be rude. If youre the arsonist, i want to know how you burned down the building. Just tell me and then we can move on. And you mentioned several times that say, speaking about, im an engineer, im looking for solutions. Theres a time for this thats called solution is that the 9th belief that the technology itself will solve it. Right . Whereas responsible position would, would always remind us with the historical examples, it is always a cultural, political source, as i mentioned, of technology being concerned with the consequences. Thats what adults do. Im not going to drink this entire bottle and in because i might die and it could hurt my children driving. This is what these people are like. They should be able to have drinking. And if you want to be able to drive the thing is just like it doesnt make any sense if you put it into any other context. And thats my problem with the its all too easy for Tech Companies to shift responsibility onto their users. Cara swisher acts like a moral guide, who keeps reminding us that the powerful tech bosses must not be allowed to assure the responsibilities. Technological progress can be a good thing. It all depends on what we make of it. And it makes of us. Because technologies can also cause crises and reinforce or most negative qualities. Today, Technological Progress means the consequences of our actions can be even more far reaching the increasing our responsibility. With one click, a photo was uploaded to social media. It takes just a 2nd. And then just as fast, weve lost control of it forever or take science where christopher cast 9 is ushering in a gene editing revolution. Its inventors were awarded the nobel prize in 2020. These genetics scissors can alter dna to potentially cure cancer or create design or people. The 1st crisper babies were born in china in 2018 at Columbia University in new york. Detroit actually conducts basic research on chris protest, 9 awesome. So here it is, is in this tiny ball. So in this last year you can hold it to show me the name. Thats it for this client is this basic line is this a liquid at the bottom is cast 9. Thats 9 on this. And this is made up of the 2 times ive done it. So this is the enzyme, the costs, the dna on the top is the guide r n a. The guy down, and this other part is the guy u r. N. S 9 in the guide or any loops the cas night enzyme to a very specific location in the t from these and supply. And then you take a little bit of each and mix them together. And then youve also is um in 5 minutes later. And its ready for injunctions i me that i to the, in the ceiling, which i dont want and injection, but id like to see more. Its me again, i yeah. Okay, great. Lets do that as the us, the, to the mineral oil. And then under the microscope goes across cool. Most of the phone doesnt need to explain this to me. In my philosopher, i can only do code letter and then i can, lets just say lets do this. Here is the x of the id say like this is a nucleus. This is where the d, n e is us. Thats where we want to make our account. Because if this is the injection of, it goes into the x. So here for the injection is made how much that is not so easy to say. It all happens pretty quickly. Smith, this is an eye condition despite so comp. Its actually not such a complicated process. The extraction for the 2 and a half 2nd procedure and hype 6 and its sort of finds its way done. So to some things, and that has consequences for generations. Us have constant trans. We back in about 200. Yes. Indeed. Do that time, these are klein procedure can have consequences, the last generations with positive preventing diseases and negative. If something unintentional, what happens when the bus will take the machine . The must be a while youre doing here is quite different and only done in a few places or not. We are modifying human embryos in mind. Its not really clear what the consequences will be. So guns, which of course means raises sewage question is, do you see across the frog and now from this and you had said that this conform theaters were now confronted with a situation where its uses galloping ahead and basic research can keep up. This be the fact contradicts our traditional understanding of science funding on this and shop the size of everyone is out of their deputies closets. And its not so clear who was responsible for what defined for them and on the supplies. The room looking for sean is drawing basic research is coming just about to late refresh, painted partly because in general, very listening search was being done on human embry. Im mentioned, can embryo saved manufacturing enough to understand ourselves better, he and we really need to do this kind of research, recent babies enforcement, one bidding, welcome this call support and see a great potential. Its more of the danger, depending on how you look at it. As this kind of research itself is that its not about preventing diseases and so on, but simply optimizing individual embryos over others on the and this is of time. So its not a Competition Among scientists about how best to prevent diseases and so forth. But rather how we can produce more productive, healthy or a stronger, smarter children and adults in the 1st place that came down on the box. And theyve got put see of naturally this raises Big Questions that are ethically socially and politically explosive. This a spring cough guns clar is, is nice. Of course the input is not our goal to optimize and were drawing denise say, is this the most important reason i see is that humanity strength lies. And its great diverse to 12, or thats kind of course the genome police, a very big role there with this highest. That means we could make it possible to improve human Health Without limiting human diversity. Using other means. Who in that is where the danger lie effect of the kind of the main type. I mean here i see a great opportunity on that and on van doing but how can you tell that the trying to get hard . Heres the kind of gross, the discussion about where these boundaries are, hasnt really taken place you on most the old that she the same hope makes sense. Miss vickery stuck, most of the risk, such as seen folks, a tune. And sometimes that can also mean understanding wanting to know how to do actually diagnoses, make it simple to, to cont, was also concerned with clarifying the limits of reason. Today, we can set things in motion whose consequences we can neither control nor reverse. Everything from Climate Change to digitalization to genetic research. Ready with repercussions for the whole world and future generations today, acting responsibly must also mean acting cautiously. If we dont wish to endanger our very future, conte wasnt afraid of the future. He also didnt see death. The future he surmised, is not a question of knowledge, so theres actions. We cannot predict it, but we can shape it from february 12th 18. Amman will con, died peacefully, and he stayed at home and couldnt expect. Where else cons last words was sent to be it is good. Thats facing optimism was to him a kind of no obligation the. This is something i also take from conte. If you have a situation in which you have no idea how the future is going to go, its really impossible to predict give a moral obligation to hold on to the view that allows you to further the better. Of course, the for conte enlightenment was not a historical era that would pass. It was a mission each formulate at the categorical imperative as a guideline for our actions. For me and enlightenment of the 21st century means weighing the consequences of our actions more than ever before. And just thinking about the future. All of us, not only individuals, but also as a society, share the responsibility to always think and act with others in mind the of the can you invest money while supporting worthy causes, like social justice and environmental sustainability and your options are expanding a film about investments that reconcile and profit with content because money isnt everything the dw 600 for the to the field for the president , popstars and post. How did this technical marble become an idols . We take a closer look in 90 minutes on d w. The top calls to everyone who wants to know more about this topic that concern us about this story is beyond the headline world in progress. The w cost cost the the, the, this is dw news line from berlin. Israels Prime Minister of vows vengeance onto mos benjamin at the office says is well, well settle the score with them us. After the militant islam watched its the largest ever assault on israel. Hundreds of israelis are dead, others have been taken hostage. The