Why Queen Rania urges us to rethink how we use technology

Queen Rania of Jordan highlighted the perils of technology – addictive use and misinformation – as well as how it can be put to humanitarian use, particularly for the global refugee crisis.

Queen Rania described what she felt was the “shameful paradox” of living in an age of technological convenience and instant gratification while “witnessing such human hardship” as a result of war, climate change and the unequal distribution of wealth.

This sobering talk urges us to reassess our relationship with technology and ask ourselves how we can leverage new innovations to help those who need it most.

For example, Queen Rania detailed how Jordan was the first country in the world where the UN was able to deliver humanitarian aid using an iris scan payment system. Refugees in Jordan, said the humanitarian speaker, are able to buy food literally at the blink of an eye – and this very same system is now being used to support Ukrainian refugees.

Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, was in conversation with Frederik Pleitgen, correspondent and anchor for CNN International, on Centre Stage at Web Summit 2022.

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Main image of Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, on Centre Stage during Day 1 of Web Summit 2022 at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal: Ramsey Cardy/Web Summit (CC BY 2.0)