Álvarez-Pallete: “Technological disruption will generate enormous value and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that no one is left behind”

• José María Álvarez-Pallete considers education, driven by technology, as the essential pillar for achieving a better and equal society. 

• Other participants at the event are: Miguel Arias, Global Entrepreneurship Director at Telefónica; Chema Alonso, CDO of Telefónica; Emilio Gayo, CEO of Telefónica Spain; and César Alierta, Executive Chairman of Fundación Telefónica.

“Now is the time to reinvent education, to place people at the centre of the new digital world”. This is how José María Álvarez-Pallete, Chairman and CEO of Telefónica started off the debate about education in the digital era, during the inauguration of South Summit and enlightED, the international conference promoted by Fundación Telefónica, IE University and South Summit, which for the first time is taking place as part of South Summit.  

Over three days, enlightED will bring together experts in education, technology, innovation, such as Sir Ken Robinson, Barbara Oakley, Jonathan Zittrain, Maysa Jalbout or Gerd Leonhard, among others.  

In his speech, Álvarez-Pallete said that “we are facing unprecedented technological change". A unique time, of extraordinary change and value creation, for which the rules have not yet been written so it is necessary to constantly rethink, reinvent and innovate. We are facing a paradigm shift in which education must play a central role.

The Chairman and CEO of Telefónica emphasised the importance of education - through technology - as the fundamental pillar in the construction of a better and equal society, as “the digitalisation of education allows new learning methods, universalizing and democratizing the access to knowledge”.

Furthermore, Álvarez-Pallete highlighted that the “technological disruption will generate enormous value” and called for “collective responsibility with future generations to ensure that no one is left behind, putting people, their rights and obligations at the centre of the new digital world”.

Technological disruption is radically transforming the labour market. “It will affect many jobs and will create many others” explained Álvarez-Pallete, who added that managing this transition is “essential” and something that can be achieved through education and adequate levels of social cohesion and protection.

The Chairman of Telefónica also added that technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Deep Learning, Augmented Reality or Blockchain, among others, are reinventing the educational system.