Five Billion Voices: Eric Schmidt in Conversation

 By Galya Dimitrova

There are not that many people left on the planet that don’t know what internet is. There are even less ones who do not use it daily at work, at school, at home, on the road – everywhere.  The latest research shows there are approximately 2 billion people using internet and everything it can offer. Is the number going to increase? What would be our benefits from using the world wide web? Will people from the third world get a better approach to internet in the future? Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt shared his views on the future of Google and its role and impact on its users.

According to Eric the 2 billion online users will increase up to 5 bln in the years to come.

“More people are going to join us – they are going to be blogging, tweeting, using  Facebook and Google’s products,” he said.

With the increasing of the users it is logical that the quality of the technology and online information will improve as well. This is another issue Eric is determined of – the new smart phones for example will have powerful modern brousers which will make them more attractive and more convenient to use. He said that the total number of global phones is approaching 5 billion.

“The next generation will love their smart phones more than you do. Their smartphone will be how they are educated, how they get entertained.

For people who have nothing , they will be something”, he claimed.

As an example he gave the “aspiring middle class coming from poverty” like many people from India, Tunesia and Africa.

One of Google’s goals is job creation. Eric is determined that innovation can increase job opportunities which gives lots of people the chance to increase the quality of their living. That is why using all the tools and focusing on job creation is vital for them.

Another issue  is sponsoring education. After all, Google is the quickest way to access world’s information. Eric also sees it as a tool for self-education and satisfying curiousity. To him the best way to reach out to people is by “openness and transparency”. He firmly believes in open structure which will contribute for “people finding what they like or not.”

“Don’t you think Google will do better job if we have a better information, with your permission of course, of who you are?”, he asked.

There is one more important thing about internet that Eric pointed out – “a tool which expresses all the hatred of the government”.

“Even people who have monopolic power are sensitive to shame and embarrassment”, he said.

With the help of internet and the open society we live in, every citizen can use politicians’ fear of embarrassment and clearly state what they want to be improved and how. So this is an important benefit.

Finally internet can be used as a tool for stimulating the nature of globalization.

“People always want to forestall its power”, said eric”but it isn’t going to work. Globalization is here to stay”.

And since our future and technology depends on its progress, the main benefit we can get from it os helping each other rather than living in a prejudging society.