The "World History 10 Years Later" series, which has been highlighting important issues of future society with a sharp perspective since 2015, has returned with its third volume.
In this book, which showcases the unprecedented impact of innovative technologies such as robotics, AI, semiconductors, and mobility, the authors analyze the latest technological advancements and their multifaceted impact on international affairs, politics, economy, society, and culture, and offer a broad perspective on how global hegemony will evolve in the future.
Part 1 introduces the impact of cutting-edge technologies such as robots and artificial intelligence on our daily lives and the corresponding regulatory measures. Part 2 shows the US-China hegemony competition and the Third World's desire to take the lead in innovative technologies.
Part 3 examines how technology is shaping the way countries address environmental challenges, including climate change.
Each of the 17 chapters is supplemented with smaller issues that supplement each topic, guiding readers toward a more vivid future.

Everything is uncertain, but if you think about it, the future has always been uncertain.
That is the fundamental property of the 'future', that which has not yet arrived.
While some people are optimistic, others are fearful and anxious about anything labeled “cutting-edge” or “artificial.”
But you don't have to choose the right answer between the two.
The path to take must be one of ignorance, and there is no other way than to search for it in confusion.
Still, I hope that the questions we ask can contribute to creating a less uncertain future.
--- From the "Introductory Note"

The "realistic fakes" created by AI are another major risk factor that confuses people and undermines the transparency and accuracy of information, which are fundamental prerequisites of democracy.
Deepfakes, which are fake images and videos synthesized onto real images or videos, distort the truth.
Without going too far, voice phishing cases exploiting the artificial intelligence-generated "wife's scream" continued to appear in Korea in 2024.
There have even been instances where celebrities whose faces were used in deepfakes for investment advertisements have urged the government to take action.
An example of malicious use of politics is US President Donald Trump.
The 2024 Republican presidential candidate posted a fake image on social media that made it appear as if pop star Taylor Swift had endorsed him.
Beyond criticism of Trump personally, the incident highlighted the need to regulate the misuse of artificial intelligence.
Ironically, the social media platform Trump posted the image on was his own creation, called "Truth Social."
Trump, who was at the forefront of spreading fake news, won the election and returned to the White House as the 74th President of the United States.
In a slightly different context, China's artificial intelligence DeepSeek has reportedly been evasive when asked about the political situation in China in Chinese.
While this may have been a major technological achievement for China, it carries with it a warning that repressive state surveillance could impact the functionality of AI.
--- From "Chapter 3: Will Artificial Intelligence Be Fair to Everyone?"

The amount of water used to train AI is increasing exponentially.
As the protests in Uruguay demonstrate, with climate change exacerbating water shortages, the question of where to build "water-drinking hippos" data centers could spark even more serious conflicts in the future.
In Uruguay, as well as in Spain and Chile, protests against the construction of data centers over water issues have erupted, and in Korea, data centers have been virtually labeled as abhorrent facilities, sparking controversy as local residents have opposed them.
If you can't avoid sending emails or searching, you have no choice but to resolve the conflict while minimizing the negative impact on your data center.
(…) The controversies surrounding data centers and the dangers behind the supposed convenience of Big Tech make us realize what costs and trade-offs we are paying for the convenience we gain.
Artificial intelligence technology will continue to advance rapidly, and we will continue to be able to send emails, search, and upload videos with a single click.
It is time to consider whether this is okay and the complex ramifications that everyday actions can bring.
--- From "Chapter 5: Big Tech: Knowing Me Better Than I Know Myself"

There are concerns about the current semiconductor landscape, which relies on specific countries and companies.
It is a natural logic of a market economy that demand is concentrated in capable companies, but when production is concentrated in a specific country or a small number of companies, it is difficult to respond when an emergency occurs.
Given the nature of semiconductors, which require significant capital and time to establish a production base, Taiwan's location, intertwined with China, is a factor that increases the instability of the security environment beyond the supply of semiconductors.
This is because semiconductors could be weaponized in the event of a sudden change in diplomatic security.
Warren Buffett, the American investor known as the 'Oracle of Omaha' and chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, said that he took into account the geopolitical crisis surrounding TSMC, which is escalating tensions between Taiwan and China, when selling his shares in TSMC.
The United States, which envisioned the Chip 4 alliance, ultimately intends to increase its domestic manufacturing capacity while embracing Taiwan, as the semiconductor industry is also greatly influenced by geopolitics.
--- From "Chapter 8: Will the 'Chip 4 Alliance' Be Strong?"

Flowers bloom even in graves.
There are people who have turned electronic waste itself into a business opportunity.
Appcyclers, a startup founded by three young Ghanaians, is using "upcycling" as its business model, going beyond recycling electronic waste to add value.
He started by making an egg incubator out of a discarded refrigerator, and later created an online platform where people could buy and sell recyclable parts collected from waste.
“We chose upcycling because it reduces environmental damage and allows us to do business,” said co-founder and CEO Agudor Agabas. “Our long-term goal is to create a more environmentally friendly and safe recycling environment for all of Ghana.”
Going a step further, they are also developing an AI model to identify recyclable materials in e-waste.
In Tanzania, Buni Hub, a startup space where people come together to create products using digital technologies and equipment, has successfully created a 3D printer from electronic waste.
The project leader said, “We have succeeded in creating new 3D objects using things like metal rods from broken printers, motors from electronic devices, and computer cables,” and “We are planning to use 3D printers to create things like medical prosthetics.”
--- From "Chapter 11: The Quantum Jump Africa Dreams of"

There's good reason why the United States is wary of Switzerland's "bio-cooperation" with China.
Syngenta is a large agricultural life sciences company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland.
(…) The company sells a variety of seeds along with pesticides and herbicides.
One thing this company sells a lot of in the United States is GM corn seeds.
American farmers who buy the seeds and grow them sell the corn they harvest to China.
This complex transaction also led to a large-scale lawsuit.
(…) What’s interesting is that while the lawsuit was going on, Syngenta became a ‘Chinese company.’
Syngenta acquired a series of corn and soybean seed companies in North America in 2004.
It was Monsanto that first coveted Syngenta, which held many patents.
In 2014, Monsanto attempted to acquire Syngenta for $40 billion, but was rejected.
Then, in 2017, Syngenta was acquired by ChemChina, a Chinese state-owned enterprise.
ChemChina's proposed acquisition was $43 billion, and unlike Monsanto, it offered the money in cash.
It was the largest acquisition by a Chinese company of a foreign company to date.
--- From "Chapter 13: When Cutting-Edge Technology Comes to the Table"

“Without the Earth, there is no business,” so the fashion industry is also thinking about and researching sustainable fashion.
"Upcycling," which creates products using recycled materials like waste plastic to increase their value, is one such effort. The suits BTS wore to address the UN General Assembly in 2022 were also made from deadstock clothing.
A new word, 'Confashion', has also emerged, combining the English word 'conscious' with 'fashion'.
The 'slow fashion' culture, which focuses on making clothes that can be worn for a long time rather than following trends and reducing clothing purchases, is also gradually spreading.
Founded in 1993 by Swiss designer brothers, FREITAG handcrafts bags from materials like tarpaulins, car seat belts, and bicycle inner tubes.
This company's bags have some worn parts and each product has different colors and patterns.
However, Freitag has been loved by consumers for 30 years without any special marketing.
Not only is there the advantage of being able to own a one-of-a-kind bag, but the company's pursuit of value is highly regarded.
The Freitag manufacturing plant in Zurich gets half of its electricity from renewable energy and uses rainwater to clean its tarpaulins.
The company's flagship store in the city is made from stacked abandoned shipping containers.
The very fact that we stubbornly practice this philosophy not only in materials but also in the production process and stores is marketing in itself.

--- From "Chapter 17: Can We Trust Corporate Environmental Campaigns?"