Generation Beta: the next leap
From Gen X, who bridged the analog-digital divide, to Gen Z, the first digital natives, and Gen Alpha, immersed in AI-driven learning, each generation has reshaped the technological landscape. In my published pieces Generational Continuum, Gen X, and Gen X and Gen Z in Conversation - published in The Express Tribune - I explored these transitions and their societal impact. In my op-ed Millennial Journey, also published in the same newspaper, I examined how Millennials uniquely bridged the transition from analog to digital, laying the groundwork for much of the tech ecosystem that Gen Alpha and Gen Beta now take for granted. Now, as a senior faculty member studying technological and social shifts, I critically examine the trajectory of Generation Beta (born between 2025 and 2039). What kind of world awaits them in an era of hyper-automation, immersive synthetic realities, and the seamless fusion of human and artificial intelligence?
While Gen Alpha grew up in the AI age, Gen Beta will go further - they will co-evolve with it. As AI becomes more autonomous and intuitive, human decisions will be shaped by real-time, predictive intelligence. Whether in education, medicine, or governance, AI will no longer be a tool but an embedded force shaping cognition, interaction, and problem-solving. Unlike previous generations, for whom technology was an external aid, Gen Beta will experience AI as an ever-present force, seamlessly integrated into their lives, anticipating needs, and influencing choices in ways we are only beginning to comprehend.
The transformation of education will be profound. AI-driven personalised learning will replace traditional classrooms with immersive, interactive experiences powered by augmented and virtual reality. AI tutors will tailor content in real time, shifting 'knowledge acquisition' from structured curricula to an evolving, anticipatory process. While this hyper-personalisation offers unparalleled opportunities for efficiency and accessibility, it also raises concerns about the erosion of traditional learning values such as perseverance, critical thinking, and independent problem-solving.
Yet, this deep integration with AI comes at a cost. If Gen Alpha struggles with digital dependence and declining social interaction, will Gen Beta face an even greater detachment? Digital fluency will be a given; the real test will be their ability to maintain human connections in a world that prioritises efficiency over empathy. With decreasing face-to-face interaction, emotional intelligence and deep interpersonal relationships could become endangered traits, placing new pressures on families, educators, and policymakers to counterbalance AI's pervasive influence.
The workplace will evolve as automation reshapes jobs, making adaptability and emotional intelligence essential. AI-managed systems may dominate, with humans focusing on high-level tasks while AI handles execution. Traditional careers could give way to fluid, on-demand roles, creating a paradox of peak productivity alongside an identity crisis about meaningful contribution in an AI-driven world.
Parenting will face new challenges. If Millennials introduced structured, tech-driven parenting, Gen Beta's caregivers will navigate a reality where human intervention in learning is minimal. Will AI-driven convenience erode resilience, creativity, and the ability to learn from failure? When AI anticipates every need, suggests every decision, and mitigates every risk, will Gen Beta retain the ability to struggle, innovate, and persevere through challenges?
As neural interfaces blur the line between human and machine cognition, Generation Beta will confront unprecedented ethical dilemmas surrounding identity, autonomy, and consciousness. They may not only use AI but become integrated with it, challenging the very definition of what it means to be human. While inheriting unparalleled efficiency and opportunity, their deeper responsibility will be to uphold creativity, emotional intelligence, and moral reasoning - ensuring that humanity's essence remains intact in an age where machines may surpass human intellect.
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Express Tribune
28-05-2025
- Express Tribune
CIA sounds alarm over China's tech rise
US paranoia with China undermines global stability as America seeks to maintain unipolar world The drums of a technological Cold War are growing deafening, with the CIA leading the chorus of alarm over China's 'existential threat' to American supremacy – even as experts warn that Washington's containment gambit is stirring the pot in Asia, and Pakistan's recent strikingly successful deployment of Chinese arms fuels long-simmering anxieties about Beijing's rising prowess. In an interview with Axios, CIA Deputy Director Michael Ellis laid the cards bare. Unlike the Soviet Union, China's challenge to the United States unfolds primarily along economic, technological and ideological lines, precisely the domains where America once claimed undisputed hegemony. Artificial intelligence, quantum computing, biotechnology, semiconductors and energy storage, these, he said, are the battlegrounds of the 21st century. However, experts warn that his worry, however, says more about American vulnerability than Chinese aggression. A European source— a long-time interlocutor between Brussels and Beijing—told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity that the so-called 'China threat' was, in essence, the fear that Chinese innovation and standards could undermine American might. The source characterised remarks by Ellis and other US officials as provocative and dangerous, reflecting Washington's growing anxiety over China's technological ascent. He noted that the unease surrounding not just China's technological rise but also its growing military prowess has been building for years. That, he added, was also 'proved' by Pakistan's military after it effectively validated those concerns by deploying Chinese J-10C fighter jets and PL-15 missiles in the May War with India, marking the first real-time combat use of cutting-edge Chinese hardware. For Western observers, it was a stark wake-up call. The source said even as the CIA expands its 'elite workforce' of engineers and scientists, Donald Trump has gutted the National Security Council's China team, reportedly firing or sidelining nearly all of its members, save Ivan Kanapathy. However, experts say the descent into anti-China hysteria is not new. Trump's pick for CIA Director had already declared in January that the agency must become more 'aggressive' in its covert actions and human intelligence. The man who would soon direct the CIA said plainly: 'We will conduct covert actions at the direction of the president, going places no one else can go and doing things no one else can do.' The ambition came into sharp relief on May 1, when the CIA posted two Mandarin-language recruitment videos on social media, offering disillusioned Chinese government employees an 'exit plan'. Beijing responded swiftly. 'A naked political provocation,' the Ministry of Foreign Affairs retorted. Meanwhile, even as Washington accuses China of cyber-espionage and intellectual theft, it openly solicits espionage within Chinese institutions. Ironically, while the US tries to spy on China, it remains terrified that others are spying on it. Beijing, for its part, appears to be shoring up its internal defences. China's Ministry of State Security recently warned former state employees with access to sensitive information against leaking secrets, citing a case in which an ex-employee, lured by a foreign agency, was sentenced for espionage. 'Containment strategy' Einar Tangen, Senior Fellow of the Taihe Institute and Chair of Asia Narratives Substack, told The Express Tribune, the US frames China as a security threat due to its military, technological, and economic rise. 'This rhetoric, fuelled by competition in trade and technology, is used to support a containment strategy.' "The US exaggerates China's rise to justify containment rather than reflect on its own mistakes,' he pointed out. "Calling China a 'threat' is 'red meat' for US politicians." Tangen noted that America believed stirring up problems in and around China would aid America, but it only destabilises and adds to the uncertainty that is hurting the world. "Competition shouldn't overshadow the need for global cooperation,' he stressed. China's growth in tech and manufacturing increases yuan usage in global trade, potentially reducing the dollar's dominance. 'China's innovation serves global demand, it is not aimed at undermining the USD, that is being done by Washington through ham-handed bully tactics. China's digital advances are boosting global growth. It's what America should be doing rather than trying to resurrect its hegemony." "The dollar weakened due to US economic choices, and it's time for America to review those choices and start competing rather than complaining,' he added. Interference in Asia via alliances Regarding the Pakistan-India conflict, Wang Yiwei, a professor at the School of International Relations at Renmin University of China, pointed the finger at the United States, drawing a line from US Vice President JD Vance's visit to India to the deadly Pahalgam attack and subsequent Indian aggression against Pakistan. 'Everyone knows the US needs India to stir trouble near China's borders, particularly involving China and Pakistan as part of its strategy to balance policies, influence and peace in South Asia,' he said. He added that the American strategy appears to be losing steam in the region. Weighing in on regional tensions and US involvement, Einar Tangen said India was balancing security concerns about China with its economic ties. While US interference has created friction, it hasn't permanently damaged relations. He clarified that India's independence isn't a threat to China, but it is to the U.S, which frames the world in terms of 'you're either with us or against us'. "China and India as neighbours must prioritise dialogue to create stability." "Western interference worsens regional tensions." He warned Western military alliances were disrupting Asia, with only a perceived, not a real, benefit to Washington. 'A lesson that should have been learned from America's policies and actions in South America, Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia." The scholar further cautioned that India's partnerships with the US risked increasing regional tensions, shifting the power balance, and sparking proxy conflicts. "India-US military ties will only escalate regional instability." "Balanced relations, not alliances, ensure peace,' he emphasised. He stressed that China and India should focus on trade, not conflict. "QUAD and AUKUS provoke tensions instead of cooperation." Key differences However, to portray the unfolding rivalry merely as a security standoff would be to miss the deeper currents. As economist and Marxist thinker David Harvey has argued, US capitalism thrives on the chaos of the market, whereas China's strength lies in state-led investment and long-term planning. It is precisely this divergence that makes the contest so asymmetrical. According to Professor Wang, the United States has always been a political system dominated by private capital. The so-called "China threat" is essentially a threat posed by China to America's dominance in high technology and in setting global standards. 'It [US] has effectively colonised its allies and digital systems like Swiss online infrastructure, creating what can be called digital colonies. While claiming to provide global public goods, the US has simultaneously hijacked the international currency order.' Scholars argue that America's current dilemma is largely self-inflicted. Through decades of deindustrialisation, market fundamentalism and Wall Street-first policies, the US hollowed out its own manufacturing core. China, by contrast, pursued a sui generis path: merging Marxist-Leninist party control with market dynamics and rigorous industrial policy. The result is what some call 'techno-industrial sovereignty', a model that Washington cannot replicate without abandoning its ideological dogmas. 'The US prioritises private capital and a market-driven economy, while China focuses on state-led development and long-term planning. The US maintains a strong dollar to finance debt and benefit Wall Street, making manufacturing less competitive,' Tangen explained. The US, he noted, chased short-term profits, while China invested in long-term benefits. 'China continues to focus on the high-margin digital economy, while the US focuses on low-margin capital-intensive reindustrialisation.' "America's strong dollar was an own goal that eviscerated its manufacturing competitiveness so Washington could borrow cheaply and Wall Street could grow exponentially." "China's planning fuels economic and tech growth. Trump's does the opposite,' the scholar pointed out, adding that Trump's tariff plan was also flawed as it taxed consumers and, if successful, would reduce tariff collections. Observers have long noted that while America's elite chased short-term profits, China treated AI, green energy, and quantum computing as national priorities, funding them accordingly. If the last Cold War was about nukes and proxies, the new one is about who sets the rules for 5G, EVs, and digital currencies. Right now, Beijing is taking the lead. The moment calls for nuance over paranoia.
Express Tribune
05-05-2025
- Express Tribune
Generation Beta: the next leap
From Gen X, who bridged the analog-digital divide, to Gen Z, the first digital natives, and Gen Alpha, immersed in AI-driven learning, each generation has reshaped the technological landscape. In my published pieces Generational Continuum, Gen X, and Gen X and Gen Z in Conversation - published in The Express Tribune - I explored these transitions and their societal impact. In my op-ed Millennial Journey, also published in the same newspaper, I examined how Millennials uniquely bridged the transition from analog to digital, laying the groundwork for much of the tech ecosystem that Gen Alpha and Gen Beta now take for granted. Now, as a senior faculty member studying technological and social shifts, I critically examine the trajectory of Generation Beta (born between 2025 and 2039). What kind of world awaits them in an era of hyper-automation, immersive synthetic realities, and the seamless fusion of human and artificial intelligence? While Gen Alpha grew up in the AI age, Gen Beta will go further - they will co-evolve with it. As AI becomes more autonomous and intuitive, human decisions will be shaped by real-time, predictive intelligence. Whether in education, medicine, or governance, AI will no longer be a tool but an embedded force shaping cognition, interaction, and problem-solving. Unlike previous generations, for whom technology was an external aid, Gen Beta will experience AI as an ever-present force, seamlessly integrated into their lives, anticipating needs, and influencing choices in ways we are only beginning to comprehend. The transformation of education will be profound. AI-driven personalised learning will replace traditional classrooms with immersive, interactive experiences powered by augmented and virtual reality. AI tutors will tailor content in real time, shifting 'knowledge acquisition' from structured curricula to an evolving, anticipatory process. While this hyper-personalisation offers unparalleled opportunities for efficiency and accessibility, it also raises concerns about the erosion of traditional learning values such as perseverance, critical thinking, and independent problem-solving. Yet, this deep integration with AI comes at a cost. If Gen Alpha struggles with digital dependence and declining social interaction, will Gen Beta face an even greater detachment? Digital fluency will be a given; the real test will be their ability to maintain human connections in a world that prioritises efficiency over empathy. With decreasing face-to-face interaction, emotional intelligence and deep interpersonal relationships could become endangered traits, placing new pressures on families, educators, and policymakers to counterbalance AI's pervasive influence. The workplace will evolve as automation reshapes jobs, making adaptability and emotional intelligence essential. AI-managed systems may dominate, with humans focusing on high-level tasks while AI handles execution. Traditional careers could give way to fluid, on-demand roles, creating a paradox of peak productivity alongside an identity crisis about meaningful contribution in an AI-driven world. Parenting will face new challenges. If Millennials introduced structured, tech-driven parenting, Gen Beta's caregivers will navigate a reality where human intervention in learning is minimal. Will AI-driven convenience erode resilience, creativity, and the ability to learn from failure? When AI anticipates every need, suggests every decision, and mitigates every risk, will Gen Beta retain the ability to struggle, innovate, and persevere through challenges? As neural interfaces blur the line between human and machine cognition, Generation Beta will confront unprecedented ethical dilemmas surrounding identity, autonomy, and consciousness. They may not only use AI but become integrated with it, challenging the very definition of what it means to be human. While inheriting unparalleled efficiency and opportunity, their deeper responsibility will be to uphold creativity, emotional intelligence, and moral reasoning - ensuring that humanity's essence remains intact in an age where machines may surpass human intellect.
Express Tribune
21-04-2025
- Express Tribune
Millennial journey
In my previous op-eds published in these columns over the last couple of months, I explored the unique position of Generation X as the bridge between the analog and digital eras, the evolving relationship between Gen X and Gen Z, and the broader generational continuum - including the emergence of Gen Alpha. However, one generation remained largely untouched: Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996). Many of my younger friends insisted that I shall probe deeper into their experiences, perspectives and contributions. So, here is my take on the Millennial generation - viewed through the lens of someone from Gen X who has watched them grow, adapt, and shape the modern world. Millennials occupy a distinct place in history - raised in an analog world yet coming of age in the digital revolution. Unlike my generation, Gen X, who had to adopt new technologies later in life, or Gen Z, who have never known a world without instant connectivity, Millennials experienced the transition firsthand, making them both digital pioneers and cultural intermediaries. Watching them grow up, I saw the shift from landlines to mobile phones, from floppy disks to cloud storage, and from bulky encyclopedias to instantaneous search engines. Dial-up internet introduced them to the patience required for connectivity, and the phrase 'You've got mail' was a moment of excitement rather than routine notification fatigue. They mastered the constraints of limited text messaging before the era of unlimited data and Wi-Fi ubiquity. Unlike Gen Z, for whom social media was always a given, Millennials saw its evolution - from MySpace profiles to the dominance of Instagram influencers and algorithm-driven content. This ever-changing landscape demanded adaptability. Millennials transitioned from writing cursive to typing, from renting VHS tapes to streaming entire libraries of content, from memorising phone numbers to relying on digital assistants. As builders of the internet's early culture - creating blogs, coding personal websites and forming online communities before they became mainstream - they were not just passive consumers but active architects of the digital world. However, being the first generation to embrace a fully digital life came with challenges. They grappled with online privacy concerns, the erosion of work-life boundaries and the psychological impact of constant connectivity. The traditional career ladder shifted under their feet, giving way to the gig economy, remote work and an unpredictable job market shaped by automation and economic instability. Unlike my generation, who valued long-term job stability, or Gen Z, who readily embrace change, Millennials had to find a middle ground - balancing ambition with pragmatism, innovation with resilience. Despite these hurdles, Millennials have proven to be forward-thinking, adaptive and socially conscious. They learned to harness technology for activism, digital entrepreneurship and global collaboration, redefining success beyond traditional metrics. Straddling the physical and digital realms, they serve as the bridge between past and future, ensuring that technological progress remains human-centred. As Gen Alpha emerges in a world dominated by AI and automation, Millennials' role as mentors and guides becomes even more crucial. Unlike previous generations, who passed down knowledge based on lived experiences with gradual technological shifts, Millennials must prepare Gen Alpha for an era where change is constant and often unpredictable. They have the responsibility to impart not just technical fluency but also critical thinking, adaptability and a sense of balance - ensuring that the next generation does not become overwhelmed by the very technologies they helped shape. As part of this ongoing generational evolution, Millennials are not just keeping pace with change but actively driving the future. By cultivating resilience, creativity and a mindful approach to technology, they play a vital role in guiding Gen Alpha to flourish in an increasingly automated world - one where human insight and wisdom continue to be indispensable.
