ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Fadi Chehadé - Technologist, entrepreneur
Fadi Chehadé is focused on finding ways for society to benefit from technology and strengthening international cooperation in the digital space.

Why you should listen

Fadi Chehadé is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and led several companies in the digital space including Vocado LLC (acquired by Oracle in 2018) and Viacore (purchased by IBM in 2006). He is an advisory board member with the World Economic Forum's Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution that focuses on maximizing the benefits of science and technology for society. Chehadé is also a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation that will advance proposals to strengthen international cooperation in the digital space.  

Chehadé serves on the corporate boards of Sentry Data Systems and Interactions LLC and the advisory board of the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy. For two years, he was a Senior Advisor to Prof. Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, where he focused on public-private cooperation to address issues affecting the digital economy. As former President and CEO of ICANN, the global authority managing the Internet's logical infrastructure and ensuring "one" internet for the world, Chehadé guided its historic transition to an independent transnational institution governed jointly by private, public and civic stakeholders.

More profile about the speaker
Fadi Chehadé | Speaker | TED.com
Bryn Freedman - Editorial director and curator, TED Institute
Bryn Freedman helps those who want to give the "talk of their lives" in a clear, passionate and authentic way.

Why you should listen

Award-winning TV producer, investigative journalist and author, Bryn Freedman joined TED in 2014 as the editorial director and curator for the TED Institute. In her work with TED, Freedman creates and executes TED conference events for Fortune 500 companies, overseeing all editorial content as well as managing speaker coaches and determining both the topics for each talk and the overall conference theme. In addition to curating these events, she works as an executive speaker coach for professionals who want to give the "talk of their lives" in a clear, passionate and authentic way.

Freedman is also co-founder of Voices4Freedom, an international organization aimed at eradicating slavery through education and media.

More profile about the speaker
Bryn Freedman | Speaker | TED.com
TED Salon Verizon

Fadi Chehadé and Bryn Freedman: What everyday citizens can do to claim power on the internet

Filmed:
1,526,164 views

Technology architect Fadi Chehadé helped set up the infrastructure that makes the internet work -- essential things like the domain name system and IP address standards. Today he's focused on finding ways for society to benefit from technology. In a crisp conversation with Bryn Freedman, curator of the TED Institute, Chehadé discusses the ongoing war between the West and China over artificial intelligence, how tech companies can become stewards of the power they have to shape lives and economies and what everyday citizens can do to claim power on the internet.
- Technologist, entrepreneur
Fadi Chehadé is focused on finding ways for society to benefit from technology and strengthening international cooperation in the digital space. Full bio - Editorial director and curator, TED Institute
Bryn Freedman helps those who want to give the "talk of their lives" in a clear, passionate and authentic way. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:12
Bryn Freedman: So you said
that in the 20th century,
0
461
3411
00:15
global power was in the hands
of government.
1
3896
2821
00:18
At the beginning of this digital century,
2
6741
2469
00:21
it really moved to corporations
3
9234
1761
00:23
and that in the future,
it would move to individuals.
4
11019
3905
00:26
And I've interviewed a lot of people,
5
14948
1786
00:28
and they say you're wrong,
6
16758
1852
00:30
and they are betting on the companies.
7
18634
2119
00:32
So why are you right,
8
20777
1659
00:34
and why are individuals going to win out?
9
22460
2483
00:37
Fadi Chehadé: Because companies
cater to individuals,
10
25419
2549
00:39
and we as the citizenry
11
27992
2033
00:42
need to start understanding
that we have a big role
12
30049
4491
00:46
in shaping how the world
will be governed, moving forward.
13
34564
3036
00:49
Yes, indeed, the tug of war right now
is between governments,
14
37624
4267
00:53
who lost much of their power to companies
15
41915
3070
00:57
because the internet is not built
around the nation-state system
16
45009
4258
01:01
around which governments have power.
17
49291
2040
01:03
The internet is transnational.
18
51355
1857
01:05
It's not international,
and it's not national,
19
53236
3039
01:08
and therefore the companies
became very powerful.
20
56299
2840
01:12
They shape our economy.
21
60028
1874
01:13
They shape our society.
22
61926
1992
01:15
Governments don't know what to do.
23
63942
1643
01:17
Right now, they're reacting.
24
65609
2016
01:19
And I fear that if we do not,
as the citizenry --
25
67649
3294
01:22
which are, in my opinion,
the most important leg of that stool --
26
70967
4748
01:27
don't take our role,
27
75739
1522
01:29
then you are right.
28
77285
1193
01:30
The detractors, or the people telling you
that businesses will prevail, are right.
29
78502
4761
01:35
It will happen.
30
83287
1151
01:36
BF: So are you saying that individuals
will force businesses
31
84462
3832
01:40
or business will be forced
to be responsive,
32
88318
2508
01:42
or is there a fear that they won't be?
33
90850
3373
01:46
FC: I think they will be.
34
94247
1372
01:47
Look at two weeks ago,
35
95643
1850
01:49
a small company called Skip
winning over Uber and Lyft and everyone
36
97517
4412
01:53
to actually get the license
for the San Francisco scooter business.
37
101953
4928
01:59
And if you read why did Skip win,
38
107232
2166
02:01
because Skip listened
to the people of San Francisco,
39
109422
2896
02:04
who were tired of scooters
being thrown everywhere,
40
112342
2849
02:07
and actually went to the city and said,
41
115215
2674
02:09
"We will deploy the service,
42
117913
2166
02:12
but we will respond
to the people's requirements
43
120103
3056
02:15
that we organize ourselves
around a set of rules."
44
123183
3070
02:18
They self-governed their behavior,
and they won the contract
45
126277
3366
02:21
over some very powerful companies.
46
129667
2040
02:23
BF: So speaking of guidelines
and self-governance,
47
131731
3566
02:27
you've spent an entire lifetime
creating guidelines and norms
48
135321
4021
02:31
for the internet.
49
139366
1698
02:33
Do you think those days are over?
50
141088
1739
02:34
Who is going to guide,
who is going to control,
51
142851
2762
02:37
and who is going to create those norms?
52
145637
2151
02:39
FC: The rules that govern
the technology layers of the internet
53
147812
5360
02:45
are now well put in place,
54
153196
2683
02:47
and I was very busy for a few years
setting those rules
55
155903
3452
02:51
around the part of the internet
that makes the internet one network.
56
159379
4117
02:55
The domain-name system, the IP numbers,
57
163520
2485
02:58
all of that is in place.
58
166029
1716
02:59
However, as we get now
into the upper layers of the internet,
59
167769
4334
03:04
the issues that affect
me and you every day --
60
172127
2826
03:06
privacy, security, etc. --
61
174977
2802
03:09
the system to create norms for those
unfortunately is not in place.
62
177803
7000
03:17
So we do have an issue.
63
185109
1604
03:18
We have a system
of cooperation and governance
64
186737
3650
03:22
that really needs to be created right now
65
190411
2834
03:25
so that companies, governments
and the citizenry can agree
66
193269
4731
03:30
how this new digital world
is going to advance.
67
198024
2342
03:32
BF: So what gives
a digital company any incentive?
68
200390
3182
03:35
Let's say -- Facebook comes to mind --
69
203596
2025
03:37
they would say they have
their users' best interests at heart,
70
205645
2945
03:40
but I think a lot of people
would disagree with that.
71
208614
2539
03:43
FC: It's been very difficult to watch
how tech companies have reacted
72
211177
5908
03:49
to the citizenry's response
to their technologies.
73
217109
3039
03:52
And some of them, two or three years ago,
basically dismissed it.
74
220791
3684
03:56
The word that I heard in many board rooms
is, "We're just a technology platform.
75
224499
5365
04:01
It's not my issue
if my technology platform
76
229888
2888
04:04
causes families
to go kill their girls in Pakistan.
77
232800
2811
04:07
It's not my issue. It's their problem.
78
235635
2287
04:09
I just have a technology platform."
79
237946
1969
04:11
Now, I think we are now entering a stage
80
239939
3215
04:15
where companies are starting to realize
this is no longer sustainable,
81
243178
5311
04:20
and they're starting to see the pushback
82
248513
2166
04:22
that's coming
from people, users, citizens,
83
250703
3135
04:25
but also governments
that are starting to say,
84
253862
2614
04:28
"This cannot be."
85
256500
1563
04:30
So I think there is a maturity
that is starting to set,
86
258087
5429
04:35
especially in that Silicon Valley area,
87
263540
2474
04:38
where people are beginning to say,
"We have a role."
88
266038
4523
04:42
So when I speak to these leaders, I say,
89
270585
2556
04:45
"Look, you could be the CEO,
a very successful CEO of a company,
90
273165
3853
04:49
but you could also be a steward."
91
277042
2071
04:51
And that's the key word.
92
279669
1213
04:52
"You could be a steward
of the power you have
93
280906
3552
04:56
to shape the lives and the economies
of billions of people.
94
284482
3912
05:00
Which one do you want to be?"
95
288967
1584
05:03
And the answer is,
it's not one or the other.
96
291218
2603
05:06
This is what we are missing right now.
97
294568
2481
05:09
So when an adult like Brad Smith,
the president of Microsoft,
98
297073
4028
05:13
said a few months ago,
99
301125
1488
05:14
"We need a new set of Geneva Conventions
100
302637
2920
05:17
to manage the security
of the digital space,"
101
305581
2689
05:20
many of the senior leaders
in Silicon Valley
102
308294
3667
05:23
actually spoke against his words.
103
311985
3317
05:27
"What do you mean, Geneva Convention?
104
315326
1836
05:29
We don't need any Geneva Conventions.
We self-regulate."
105
317186
2947
05:32
But that mood is changing,
106
320157
2108
05:34
and I'm starting to see many leaders say,
107
322289
3206
05:37
"Help us out."
108
325519
1295
05:39
But here lies the conundrum.
109
327201
2053
05:41
Who is going to help those leaders
do the right thing?
110
329909
2913
05:44
BF: So who is going to help them?
111
332846
2579
05:47
Because I'd love
to interview you for an hour,
112
335449
4136
05:51
but give me your biggest fear
and your best hope
113
339609
5229
05:56
for how this is going to work out.
114
344862
1881
06:00
FC: My biggest hope
is that we will become each stewards
115
348981
6739
06:07
of this new digital world.
116
355744
1590
06:09
That's my biggest hope,
117
357358
1381
06:10
because I do think, often,
we want to put the blame on others.
118
358763
5024
06:15
"Oh, it's these CEOs.
They're behaving this way."
119
363811
2401
06:18
"These governments are not doing enough."
120
366236
2000
06:20
But how about us?
121
368260
1664
06:21
How is each of us actually taking
the responsibility to be a steward
122
369948
5072
06:27
of the digital space we live in?
123
375044
2229
06:29
And one of the things I've been pushing
on university presidents
124
377297
3223
06:32
is we need every engineering and science
and computer science student
125
380544
4340
06:36
who is about to write
the next line of code
126
384908
2535
06:39
or design the next IoT device
127
387467
2309
06:41
to actually have in them
a sense of responsibility and stewardship
128
389800
4827
06:46
towards what they're building.
129
394651
1509
06:48
So I suggested we create a new oath,
130
396184
2396
06:50
like the Hippocratic Oath,
131
398604
1659
06:52
so that every student
entering an engineering program
132
400287
2928
06:55
takes a technocratic oath or a wisdom oath
133
403239
3601
06:58
or some oath of commitment
to the rest of us.
134
406864
2913
07:01
That's my best hope, that we all rise.
135
409801
2676
07:04
Because governments and businesses
will fight over this power game,
136
412501
4913
07:09
but where are we?
137
417438
1534
07:10
And unless we play into that power table,
138
418996
4452
07:15
I think we'll end up in a bad place.
139
423472
2899
07:18
My biggest fear?
140
426395
1275
07:21
My biggest fear,
to be very tactical today,
141
429392
2864
07:24
what is keeping me up at night
142
432280
2239
07:26
is the current war between
the West, the liberal world,
143
434543
5714
07:33
and China,
144
441304
1509
07:34
in the area of artificial intelligence.
145
442837
2277
07:37
There is a real war going on,
146
445138
2246
07:39
and for those of us who have lived
through the nuclear nonproliferation age
147
447408
4991
07:44
and saw how people agreed
148
452423
2364
07:46
to take some very dangerous
things off the table,
149
454811
2790
07:50
well, the Carnegie Endowment
just finished a study.
150
458787
3323
07:54
They talked to every country
that made nuclear weapons
151
462490
2731
07:57
and asked them,
152
465245
1777
07:59
"Which digital 'weapon'
would you take off the table
153
467046
5759
08:04
against somebody else's
schools or hospitals?"
154
472829
2594
08:07
And the answer --
155
475828
1199
08:09
from every nuclear power --
to this question was,
156
477051
3444
08:13
nothing.
157
481447
1150
08:15
That's what I'm worried about ...
158
483693
1793
08:18
The weaponization of the digital space,
159
486161
2920
08:21
and the race to get there.
160
489105
1612
08:22
BF: Well, it sounds like
you've got a lot of work to do,
161
490741
2795
08:25
and so do the rest of us.
162
493560
1571
08:27
Fadi, thank you so much.
I really appreciate it.
163
495155
2686
08:29
FC: Thank you.
164
497865
1151
08:31
(Applause)
165
499040
2539

▲Back to top

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Fadi Chehadé - Technologist, entrepreneur
Fadi Chehadé is focused on finding ways for society to benefit from technology and strengthening international cooperation in the digital space.

Why you should listen

Fadi Chehadé is a serial entrepreneur who has founded and led several companies in the digital space including Vocado LLC (acquired by Oracle in 2018) and Viacore (purchased by IBM in 2006). He is an advisory board member with the World Economic Forum's Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution that focuses on maximizing the benefits of science and technology for society. Chehadé is also a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Digital Cooperation that will advance proposals to strengthen international cooperation in the digital space.  

Chehadé serves on the corporate boards of Sentry Data Systems and Interactions LLC and the advisory board of the University of Southern California’s Center on Public Diplomacy. For two years, he was a Senior Advisor to Prof. Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, where he focused on public-private cooperation to address issues affecting the digital economy. As former President and CEO of ICANN, the global authority managing the Internet's logical infrastructure and ensuring "one" internet for the world, Chehadé guided its historic transition to an independent transnational institution governed jointly by private, public and civic stakeholders.

More profile about the speaker
Fadi Chehadé | Speaker | TED.com
Bryn Freedman - Editorial director and curator, TED Institute
Bryn Freedman helps those who want to give the "talk of their lives" in a clear, passionate and authentic way.

Why you should listen

Award-winning TV producer, investigative journalist and author, Bryn Freedman joined TED in 2014 as the editorial director and curator for the TED Institute. In her work with TED, Freedman creates and executes TED conference events for Fortune 500 companies, overseeing all editorial content as well as managing speaker coaches and determining both the topics for each talk and the overall conference theme. In addition to curating these events, she works as an executive speaker coach for professionals who want to give the "talk of their lives" in a clear, passionate and authentic way.

Freedman is also co-founder of Voices4Freedom, an international organization aimed at eradicating slavery through education and media.

More profile about the speaker
Bryn Freedman | Speaker | TED.com