Digital technologies changed the world. They produced a paradigm shift in science that spread to all aspects of society and human life. Other singularity points occurred in the history of humankind, generating similar revolutionary changes. The first part of the talk follows a historical perspective, and looks at some of these change points, trying to understand both the similarities and differences with the digital revolution, in terms of speed, breadth, and depth of changes. It will dig more specifically into a specific crucial technology –software– which is at the heart of all changes. Software, which includes AI, defines and embeds the rules of the new digital world. The second part of the talk reflects on how we can direct technological advances towards development of an “open, free and secure digital future for all”, as hoped for by the UN’s Global Digital Compact initiative. In particular, it focuses on the responsibilities of academics in research, education, and outreach.

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