by Karen Abrams, MBA, AA, EdD Candidate ’25
The 21st century global economy is characterized by rapid technological advances that have democratized knowledge and made education accessible to the masses. Artificial intelligence and free online classes have made it possible for people in even the most remote areas to access knowledge, learn new skills, and develop their talents. In the Guyana context, only a handful of Guyanese have an excuse to live in ignorance; 94% of the population has access to a phone. Last week, the market vendor was selling me fruits while reading her facebook feed.
According to Facebook, more than 400,000 unique logins from Guyana are recorded daily, which represents more than half of the adult population. This is an incredible opportunity for Guyanese citizens to take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and resources that are now available online. With access to the internet, citizens can search Google for classes, watch YouTube tutorials, and log into platforms like ChatGPT to collaborate with others and solve big problems.
However, the question remains, how do we distinguish talent and access opportunity in this new era of knowledge democratization? As intellectual elites lament over students cheating with platforms like ChatGPT, they are missing the opportunity to educate their students in a way that empowers them and encourages them to use these technology tools and their creativity to craft solutions to global problems. Instead of fearing the democratization of knowledge, we should embrace it and seek to empower our youths to use it to create a better future for all.
The developing world, including Guyana, has been handed an opportunity to catch up with their western neighbors in terms of access to knowledge. However, the culture of fear and control must be abated if we are to narrow the innovation divide and create a more equitable global society. Our leaders, both public and private, must commit themselves to lifelong learning and seek to get out of the way of innovators so that more opportunities can be created for Guyanese to thrive and for Guyana to live up to her promise of greatness.
Guyanese citizens deserve a break. It is time to embrace the power of knowledge democratization, to celebrate the wealth of talent and creativity that exists in our country, and to use these resources to create a better future for all. The opportunity lies before us; it is up to us to seize it.
