A futuristic cityscape where technology and nature coexist harmoniously, symbolizing Digitization 2.0.

Digitization 2.0: Is It the Key to a Sustainable Future, or Just Another Game?

Lena Kashyap in Tech & Innovation September 2025 • 4 min read.

"Exploring the Promise and Perils of the Next Digital Revolution for Prosperity, Sustainability, and Peace."

The initial euphoria surrounding the internet and social media's potential to create political utopias has waned. However, the true digital revolution is still on the horizon, promising to intertwine prosperity, sustainability, and global peace in unprecedented ways.

Elon Musk once posed a thought-provoking question: "What if the world were a computer simulation?" This idea reframes life as a game where success hinges on creatively advancing to the next level. But, what exactly are the rules of this game?

The overarching challenges we face should be clear to everyone. Over four decades ago, the "Limits to Growth" study, commissioned by the Club of Rome, warned that a world with finite resources inevitably risks economic and population collapse. Despite varying the parameters in computer simulations, the outcome consistently pointed to disaster, leading decision-makers to a state of panic and sparking a rush to control resources—a strategy akin to playing 'Monopoly' on a global scale, marked by globalization and wars.

Rethinking the Game: Can New Rules Ensure Enough Resources for Everyone?

A futuristic cityscape where technology and nature coexist harmoniously, symbolizing Digitization 2.0.

Surprisingly, few considered altering the fundamental equations governing our future—the way we structure our economy and society. What if the primary objective shifted to discovering new rules that ensure the world's resources are sufficient for all? Failure to consider this alternative would be a critical oversight. Addressing this challenge is indeed feasible; reducing our resource consumption by a mere 3% annually over the past 40 years could have already secured a sustainable economy. The 1970s saw the rise of an environmental movement with initiatives like car-free Sundays and the replacement of jute for plastic, signaling a move towards sustainability.

However, these changes were not welcomed by industrialists, who preferred citizens to keep consuming without concern for the future. The prevailing attitude was 'bread and circuses'—distracting the populace from the impending apocalypse while politics and industry handled everything. Society, trusting in their lead, cleared the path for them.

The Industrialists Perspective: Industrial leaders promoted continued consumption over sustainability, prioritizing short-term gains.
'Bread and Circuses' Strategy: This approach aimed to distract people from worrying about long-term issues, ensuring they remained focused on immediate pleasures.
Trust in Industry: Society largely deferred to industry's judgment, allowing them to dictate the path forward without significant oversight.

The prevailing economic belief was that any problem, no matter how large, could be resolved with enough engineering ingenuity and global scalability. To facilitate this, industry needed minimal restrictions, leading to the spread of neo-liberalism. It was argued that resource scarcity necessitated 'economies of scale' and efficient global production, resulting in the rise of oligopolies and monopolies.

A Call to Action: Shaping the Future of Digitization

Europe missed the first wave of digitization, but that doesn't mean we can't lead the way in Digitization 2.0. Let's strive to be pioneers in digital democracy, socio-ecological finance systems, and democratic capitalism. With robots poised to produce the goods we need, we can dedicate our time to creative, social, and learning activities. It's time for a public debate on where we want to go in the digital age and to invest in the future, rather than trying to fix the broken pieces of the past. Let's start now!

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1007/978-3-319-90869-4_18, Alternate LINK

Title: Digitization 2.0: A New Game Begins

Journal: Towards Digital Enlightenment

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Authors: Dirk Helbing

Published: 2018-08-28

Everything You Need To Know

What is Digitization 2.0 and what potential benefits and risks does it present for the future?

Digitization 2.0 holds the potential to revolutionize the world by blending prosperity, sustainability, and global peace through the creation of new digital ecosystems. It aims to use digital technologies to address global challenges and create a more sustainable and equitable future. Unlike the first wave of digitization, Digitization 2.0 emphasizes democratic values, socio-ecological finance systems, and democratic capitalism. However, there are potential pitfalls if not implemented thoughtfully, requiring careful consideration of its implications.

What was the significance of the 'Limits to Growth' study and how did decision-makers react to its findings?

The 'Limits to Growth' study, commissioned by the Club of Rome, was a significant early warning about the potential for economic and population collapse due to finite resources. The study used computer simulations to project the consequences of unchecked growth, consistently indicating a future disaster. Decision-makers reacted by attempting to control resources, leading to strategies like globalization and wars, rather than fundamentally altering the unsustainable economic and societal structures.

What is the 'bread and circuses' strategy, and how was it used in the context of sustainability and consumption?

The 'bread and circuses' strategy refers to distracting the public from worrying about impending crises by focusing on immediate pleasures and entertainment. This approach was adopted by industrialists to ensure continued consumption without concern for the future. It allowed politics and industry to manage critical issues without significant public scrutiny, reinforcing the idea that society could trust in their leadership to navigate complex challenges.

How did the industrialists' perspective influence the approach to resource management and sustainability?

The industrialists' perspective prioritized continued consumption over sustainability, driven by short-term gains. They believed that engineering ingenuity and global scalability could solve any problem, regardless of its magnitude. This viewpoint led to minimal restrictions on industry and the spread of neo-liberalism, favoring 'economies of scale' and efficient global production. As a result, oligopolies and monopolies rose, reinforcing the industrialists' control over resources and markets.

What fundamental shift is necessary to ensure that the world's resources are sufficient for all, and how can it be achieved?

To ensure that the world's resources are sufficient for all, a fundamental shift in the objectives governing the economy and society is needed. Instead of prioritizing endless growth, the focus should be on discovering new rules that promote sustainability and equitable distribution of resources. Reducing resource consumption by a small percentage annually, like the suggested 3%, could create a more sustainable economic model. This requires a move away from the prevailing economic beliefs and a reevaluation of priorities.