Let’s break down the evolution of society into the four stages, before entering the fifth stage. Society 1.0 (Hunting Society) was a society based on a life solely dependent on hunting and collecting animals and plants, thus working within a limited range.
July 19, 2019, 1:55 p.m. Published in Magazine Issue: VOL 13 NO 01 ,July 19 –01 Aug., 2019 (Sharwan 03, 2076) Online Register Number: DOI 584/074-75
Society has passed several stages of historical development – from the primitive order to the informational present. The next phase of globalization can be the so-called super intellectual society, that is, ‘Society 5.0’. Human-centered society balances economic development and helps solve social issues by a system that integrates cyberspace (aka virtual space) and physical space (aka real space). We have to put society at the center rather than the industry so that having technology as a catalyst and transformer will take advantage of its benefits for the common benefit of citizens in an egalitarian way and create a super intelligent society.
Let’s break down the evolution of society into the four stages, before entering the fifth stage. Society 1.0 (Hunting Society) was a society based on a life solely dependent on hunting and collecting animals and plants, thus working within a limited range. Society 2.0 (Farming Society) was a society where it was easy for people to settle in a place with farming, from which norms and communities were formed. Society 3.0 (Industrialized Society) was a society where industrialization began with the development of industrial social civilization and the manufacturing industry, thus the “industrial revolution” flourished. Society 4.0 (Information Society) is the society which deals with Information that has the same value as resources and a society that functions around them.
Society 5.0 is the ecosystem that provides sustainability to all stages- economic, environmental, social and political levels, focusing on the individual and on creating values. In Society 5.0, every person and thing around them are connected with ‘IoT (the Internet of Things)’ and various knowledge and information are shared, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) providing necessary information when needed.
The Japanese government has begun to introduce society 5.0 where digital technology is applied and centered on human life. But then, economic growth and technological development should aim for the entire citizenry of a country and not only for some groups. The development of education in the world is entering a very important period. Not only in an effort to provide quality and optimal education services, but also an important period that will determine the continuation of education itself.
Society 5.0 will help effective health services, simplify mobility, enhance infrastructure quality, and optimize financial technology. As we all know, Digitizing Society means the ability to solve problems. In Society 5.0, new values will be created through innovation and will eliminate gaps in terms of age, gender, and language and allow the provision of products and services that are subtly designed for a variety of individual needs. In this way, it will be possible to reach communities that can promote economic development and find solutions to social problems.
In society up to now, priority has generally been placed on social, economic and organizational systems with the result that disparities have emerged in the products and services received by individuals based on individual abilities and other reasons. True Society 5.0 will be a human-centered society and will aim to empower all actors in the community, placing special emphasis on active participation for a safe, comfortable and prosperous life.
Society 5.0 is a society that can solve various social challenges and problems by utilizing various innovations that were born in the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0 such as the IoT (the internet for everything), Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, and robots to improve the quality of human life.
The society realized with Society 5.0 is that IoT (the Internet of Things) connects all people and things, sharing various knowledge and information, and creating new values that has never occurred, and issues and difficulties that have yet to be overcome. In addition, artificial intelligence (AI) makes it possible to provide important information when necessary, and technologies such as robots and autonomous vehicles that overcome problems such as low birth rate, aging population, depopulation in rural areas, and gap between the rich and poor. Through social reform and innovation, we have been able to overcome the sense of obstruction until now, living in a society with hope, a society that respects each other across generations, and a society in which each person can be comfortable and active.
Sustainable growth and autonomous development of local communities, ensuring the safety and security of the country and people, realizing a rich and high-quality life, responding to global issues and contributing to the development of the world and sustained creation of intellectual assets should all be incorporated in the new society.
Forming a new society is not an easy thing. We need a society where people will be able to enjoy life to the fullest. We should understand that technological progress and economic growth were created for that. The gap has diminished with the increasing quality of life of people in general, so that it is not only enjoyed by a few people. The society we are living in has reached its limits, thus, we need Society 5.0 which will liberate us. It is sad but true that the future is here and we Nepalese are late!
