“I looked back to the beginning of the technology I considered fundamental—the planar transistor—and noticed that the [number of components] had about doubled every year. And I just did a wild extrapolation saying it’s going to continue to double every year for the next 10 years … and it proved to be amazingly correct.”
- Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, 3/30/15 IEEE Spectrum
It was 50 years ago that Gordon Moore made the prediction that would become “Moore’s Law.” We champion this idea that has inspired so many because, now in 2015, technology’s exponential improvement continues to astonish, in terms of processing power and affordability of technology. And we’re not celebrating technology simply for technology’s sake. It’s about what this pace of exponential change has meant for millions of people around the world—and the opportunity it presents for the future.
Today, the power of technology is intersecting in two important areas: education and empowerment, specifically for girls and women. And when you factor in the continued potential of Moore’s Law, technology now has the power to bring exponential change to every person on earth by connecting them to their potential, and creating important multiplier effects.
Innovation may begin at a single starting point or with a single individual, but its ripple effect can be global.
Take education; every dollar invested in education and youth skills generates $10-$15 in economic growth1. That’s why Intel is investing in the next generation by collaborating with governments to transform education and drive economic empowerment, helping to provide the tools and support to advance education, to improve student outcomes, and to offer lifelong economic empowerment.Globally, there's a missed opportunity to tap into: the potential of girls and women. Twenty years ago, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action was released, creating a powerful framework and vision for global girls’ and women’s empowerment. There’s been significant improvements in girls’ access to education, women’s political representation, and women’s achievement in the workplace—however, the pace of change is not as rapid as it could be.
Intel is helping to accelerate this change. Through our global Girls and Women Initiative, we’re helping empower millions by closing the gender gap in education and technology access—and that potential I mentioned? It’s immense. The Intel® She Will Connect program seeks to empower millions of girls and women through technology, connecting them to a range of opportunities. In addition to the positive social impacts that will come from empowering girls and women, closing the gender Internet gap has the potential to also generate an estimated additional $13–$18 billion in GDP across developing countries2.
See how closing the Internet gender gap will drive opportunity for girls and women:
Today’s knowledge economy, spurred by technology, is fueling all sorts of amazing possibilities, innovations, and ultimately, global economic empowerment. As we celebrate 50 years of Moore’s law and the positive change it has enabled for so many, we have the opportunity to recommit to the exponential impact of what is possible in the next 50 years so that everyone can reap the full benefits of the power of technology.
Shelly Esque
Sources:
- UNESCO, Education for All Global Monitoring Report, 2012.
- “Percentage of Individuals using the Internet 2000-2012,” International Telecommunications Union (Geneva), June 2013.