In November 2022, Nepal conducted its federal election using ballot papers and did not use electronic voting machines, despite having used them in the first constitutional assembly election. Due to the rising concerns about technology affecting the integrity of the election, the Election Commission had to issue a social media code of conduct.

In April 2023, Nepal Rastra Bank banned the use of cryptocurrency including stablecoins, NFTs, Digital Assets, decentralised finance, or any form of virtual currency. Then the Government of Nepal banned TikTok in November 2023 to safeguard social harmony.

Amidst such digital disruptions, Bimal Pratap Shah, a former employee of the National Information Technology Center, a government fellow at the Center for Electronic Governance and a consultant to the World Bank Nepal, published his book titled ‘Algorithmocracy’ where he offers a compelling narrative of how emerging technologies like Algorithms, Blockchain, AI &ML, Metaverse will revolutionise the concept of democracy, governance & regulatory frameworks.

He deftly explores the intersection of technology, politics, religion and economy and how these concepts merge to create a philosophy that will recalibrate our thought process.

The subtitle, ‘Democracy in the Age of Bitcoin, Ethereum and ChatGPT’, gives readers ample ideas of what to expect from the book. Shah skillfully dissects complex issues of representative & direct democracy, paradigm shift in governance, new value creation powered by blockchain and failure of our leadership to harness this power which has led to a lack of citizen participation and engagement.

ChatGPT defines Algorithmocracy as a theoretical concept and its feasibility, desirability and potential implications for our society are under debate, highly futuristic and utopian. Viewed from this perspective, the book is ahead of its time and it is fascinating how a Nepali author has created a work that transcends the time barrier.

The book has two parts. Part one is a compilation of Shah’s articles published in newspapers covering topics ranging from future technology, shifting paradigm, Metaverse world, Blockchain, Bitcoin, Ethereum and arcane concepts like Tragedy of the commons, libertarian municipalism, Austrian economics and even imagination of religion in the modern world which he has titled ‘Post secular world: Is God Dead?’.

The central theme of these articles is how digital transformation is shifting the political system, enabling a direct democratic process while we are pacing the 18th-century world in a bullock cart. It is about the need for political leadership who is fit for the era of self-driving cars, cryptocurrency and city-as-a-platform and understands that the new governance system will ride on blockchain & algorithms leading to direct democracy.

The author shows how advanced the world of AI has become, and he does this by showing a well-written and immaculate article written by ChatGPT on corruption in Nepal.

While technology will become a tonic for freedom and democracy, the author is also careful to mention that it is not a panacea. Shah writes the world needs Magna Carta 2.0 to ensure that technology is used to serve humanity, science, knowledge & democracy.

Internet and technologies like Bitcoin and cryptocurrency are sovereign neutral and governments don’t have control over it. He advocates regulating cryptocurrencies & similar innovations instead of banning them which he expounds is a regressive move.

Referring to Klaus Schwab, the executive chairman of WEF, Shah writes, “It is not - the big fish eat small fish world, but rather - the fast fish eat slow fish world”.

The corollary to this statement is that disruptions have become a norm in the 21st century and our organisation, companies, culture, ethos and leadership are vulnerable to the large-scale disruption brought about by technology. It cannot be avoided by prohibiting them.

The second part of the book explains the key concepts of digital evolution in simple terms which is useful for somebody at the ground level of the digital world. The author explains concepts like Bitcoin, Blockchain & its future, algorithms and the computing world, crypto world personalities like Satoshi Nakamoto and Vitalik Butarin, consensus mechanisms like POW versus POS, FTX, NFTs, direct democracies etc.

The second part is a collection of some existing and some emerging novel ideas from the digital world; some of which are very well explained with relevance while some could have been explained better. Some concepts like how Machine learning works and emerging technologies like sand batteries, sweat-powered smartwatches and Xenotransplantation are very catchy.

The topics covered are important pieces in the world of technology and the author’s expertise on the subject is clearly visible, however, he could have narrated it better by weaving stories around the subject rather than sharing the facts & figures in watertight boxes. For example, readers may not be interested in knowing facts about Silk Road but rather about how Ross Ulbrict operated his illicit operations under the radar.

The book is a trove of knowledge required in the digital age, but it is marred by many copy-editing errors. In several chapters, paragraphs are repeated word-for-word as if it is a draft copy. Similarly, errors like inadvertent repetitions, incomplete sentences and changes in font for no discernible reasons hinder the seamless absorption of the book’s otherwise abundant wealth of knowledge.

Since the first part of the book is a collection of articles originally published in different newspapers, some ideas and concepts are repeated across chapters.

Despite the copy-editing errors, Bimal’s passion & knowledge for technology and harnessing it to drive progress in Nepal is truly inspiring. This book is not only about technology nor is it about politics. But rather about how transformation in technology transforms political values, ideologies, concepts, nations and ethos and gives rise to a new class of techno sapiens.

The book serves as a timely and indispensable guide in delivering political goods and why Nepal has to progressively embrace these changes to reap the benefits of the fourth industrial revolution to avoid a dystopian future. While every technology enthusiast will enjoy reading & learning from Shah’s collection of esoteric views, it is a must-read for politicians, policymakers and bureaucrats alike.

Albert Einstein famously said “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” which resonates deeply with the thought-provoking concept of Algorithmocracy and how it can potentially reshape the future of societal organisation and pave a path for novel possibilities. Through his book, Shah gives readers a peek into how the future could look like and succeeds in stimulating readers’ curiosity & imagination.

Siddhi is the Head of the Transaction Bank at SCB Nepal.

Algorithmocracy

Author: Bimal Pratap Shah

Year: 2023

Publisher: Repro Vision Press