Thread by @raisinadialogue

We are live tweeting @d_jaishankar in conversation with @BradSmi @Microsoft. The two will discuss @BradSmi’s latest book “Tools and Weapons: The Promise and the Peril of the Digital Age” #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: Tech is a quintessentially global industry, but is also remaking every aspect of societies around the world. #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: As data is fundamental to our lives, our book begins in one of @Microsoft’s data centre campuses. It brings to life the sheer scale of infrastructure that goes into these centres. #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: There is a reason there are two engines in a plane, not one. For that very reason we have two to three data centres catering to a geography, rather than just one. #Raisina2021

.@d_jaishankar asks @BradSmi: The characterisation of technology as not just a tool but also a weapon was not a fashionable one amongst #bigtech companies until recently. What has changed? #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: Just as the Three Mile Island incident was a tipping point for US public opinion on nuclear energy, the #Snowden leaks, #CambridgeAnalytica has been a tipping point in our understanding of privacy. #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: In #USChina tech relations, we are not seeing a #decoupling but rather a “drifting apart”. It is true that there is a #reshoring of hardware #supplychains out of China, and there are opportunities here for India. Software, however, is more complicated. #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: A software product is not built in a single location: lines of code written are in different countries and then integrated. Basic research should continue on a global basis because the best “frontier” work is done through global collaboration. #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: The world is more secure when it runs in the cloud than through on-premise servers. In the cloud, we can see attacks, constantly update software / hardware, and we have thousands of #CyberSecurity professionals #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: There is a global shortage of #CyberSecurity professionals in the workforce. We need a global initiative to accelerate training and put more professionals in place. This will be important for govts. to pursue as well #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: Given the weaponization of tech, tech companies need to step up and adopt a higher standard of self-responsibility. Govts. need to move faster as well - we won’t have a healthy market for the longer term without a degree of regulation #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: A new model will emerge requiring tech companies to be more transparent in publishing the principles they adopt, follow them consistently, give impacted individuals a right to appeal, and have regulatory review of their adherence to principles #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: The #ParisCall for Trust and Security in Cyberspace has more than 1000 signatories incl. 75 govts., but it does not have support from the govts. of US or India. Hopeful that both will sign-on in the coming year #Raisina2021

.@BradSmi: Govts. and others should build on conclusions that came out of the UN OWEG deliberations. The world’s democracies have a huge opportunity to stand together for norms that will protect #FreeSpeech and democracy #Raisina2021

We come to the close of our discussion @d_jaishankar in conversation with @BradSmi. Thank you for joining us! #Raisina2021 #RaisinaDialogue