Monopolies are a recurring point of contention that seems to rear its ugly head with societal technology changes. Today it’s Google, Facebook, and Amazon. Previously, it was AT&T, Standard Oil, and U.S. Steel. What I found interesting in Pollock’s The Open Revolution was its affect on my perception of a monopoly, and his shift from power in money (although money is a component) to power in attention (his italics). The three mentioned above do indeed monopolize our attention, at least as far as the internet is concerned. (Netflix is also a primary player in attention grabbing, but Amazon is doing what it can to mitigate their power.) If you’re not on all three of the aforementioned platforms, most of us are at least using one. You might not use Facebook or Amazon, but it highly unlikely that you aren’t using Google at least periodically. I couldn’t begin to guess how I often I use Google each week.
Big corporations have changed the physical landscape of America. I first noticed it with corner grocery stores. Growing up in the city there were several small ‘mom and pop’ shops on virtually every corner, but with the increase in mobility and cheaper prices at chain stores, they slowly started to disappear. Now the digital landscape is going through a similar change, not only affecting the online world but also the physical one. Big digital companies are absorbing, and sometimes cannibalizing, small endeavors online just like corner stores were lost to the chain takeover, but is an “Open World” (5) the answer?
“In an Open world we would pay innovators and creators more and more fairly, using market-driven remuneration rights in place of intellectual property monopoly rights” (7). Pollack speaks of Artificial Intelligence (AI) using machines to eliminate mundane tasks (jobs) to free up our time for more pleasant things. The idea sounds fantastic, but with all the technological innovations we have already instilled to make our lives easier, we have only found ourselves busier. The washing machine, the dishwasher, the car, all provide easier means with which to accomplish these mindless chores, or decrease travel time, and yet we are more time-starved than ever. In addition, if AI eliminates some of the work venues or relegates the human labor pool to people vying for a limited amount of jobs, we may find ourselves still, maybe even deeper into a monopoly. A monopoly of another name, or with another mission, yet still is a big corporation that leaves the little guy in the dust.