In a world increasingly defined by polarisation, division and bewildering technological change, let’s pause and consider what connects us. What unique, universal quality keeps us open-minded, what keeps us human in the face of relentless disruption? The answer lies in empathy.
To be empathetic is to be kind of course, but empathy also makes us curious, encourages us to seek rather than to know – to be humble. Empathy gives us the ability to understand an opposing point of view. It allows us to transcend barriers, and to connect with each other despite the noise. It helps us to feel, to navigate and to respond to each other meaningfully. That is humanity’s greatest quality.
I worry that we’re losing much of our natural ability to empathise with other people, other cultures, and other perspectives, and the dehumanising effect of technology is to blame. At the very least, it tends to amplify and aggravate these issues.
Constant technological change features in all our lives. In our household, labels like AI, AR and ASMR are all the rage. My teen daughters are completely au fait with this terminology and the associated tech. But as a parent, I’m more wary. I am no luddite, but I am constantly battling the tech tide, because I fear over reliance on technology desensitises, depersonalises, and dehumanises us. It can stifle that vital human quality – empathy.
So, the question is how can we preserve and foster empathy? In the age of tech, how do we untether ourselves from constant revolution and rediscover this fundamental evolutionary characteristic?
For me, one solution lies in engaging with arts and culture, in creativity, in museums, and making sure as many people as possible have access to them. As a trustee of the V&A, I have seen first-hand how museums inspire, engage, create, and convene. For example, the V&A’s most recent exhibition on Marie Antoinette’s style brilliantly highlights this icon’s influence on design, film, art, fashion and so much more. In a different vein, the Imperial War Museums movingly display the toll that conflicts take on civilians, while the British Library’s Gandhari manuscripts recount mind-expanding tales of Buddhism in ancient India. In each case the audience is urged to explore through different lenses.
Museums have evolved over time to engage visitors in myriad ways within their physical spaces. There are curated displays, specialist tours, expert talks, even fancy gift shops to aid with your Christmas shopping and delicious cafes to entice people to visit (And, I must add, the museum coffee shop is the place to see and be seen at!)
The exhibitions offer broad appeal across ages, belief systems, socio-economic groups, and even across geographical boundaries. As an avid museum goer, it’s been a joy to discover the innovation and openness that this sector has embraced. As a woman of Indian heritage, I have been moved to find so many of my traditions, my history and my culture represented beautifully and authentically in these spaces. It is even more relevant given I’ve spent much of my life living away from where I was born, studying in the US, and then making the UK my home, settling in Yorkshire, and living for a time in Downing Street.
Access to these educational, inspirational treasures remains limited to those who can visit in person. That’s a travesty in my mind, given the groundbreaking work they do, the vast collections they hold, and the sense of community museums can foster. So how can we find ways of opening up worldwide access, for example, to the wonders of the Louvre for millions for whom nipping to Paris on the Eurostar isn’t an option?
Hope comes in the form of technological advances. We have come a long way from simple digitisation – the process of scanning objects to put them online. We have made significant progress in making digital tools much more user friendly. Augmented Reality (AR) software offers multi-modal viewpoints, Artificial Intelligence (AI) brings objects thrillingly to life and Autonomous Sensory Meridian Responses (ASMR) offer an all-embracing digital experience unlike any other. You can lose yourself in the pages of Google Arts and Culture as easily as you can in an art gallery; I lost my Tuesday morning to impressionist artworks – Monet to Renoir to Manet all held me in raptured attention.
These are just a few examples of how technology has transformed our ability to engage with historic collections. Through these creative technological advances, we can shift from passive spectators to proactive visitors, journeying through cultural spaces enriched by digital stories and personalised interaction.
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Increasingly we can create more immersive experiences, which to me are the ultimate form of access and exactly what is needed to help us appreciate shared histories, stories, and culture.
Museums like the V&A are already making great tech strides with their collections. Around the world there are other brilliant models to follow that are free to access, such as Virtual Angkor, a collaboration between archaeologists and digital historians that reconstructs the city of Angkor Wat in Cambodia built in the early 12th century AD. It provides 360-degree panoramas and VR-ready views that let you stand in workshops, streets, and temples. Similarly, at St Peter’s Basilica, in the Vatican City, the Vatican and Microsoft have combined to open access to a 3D version of Rome’s most iconic church.
So technological advances can be the biggest enablers of access; and we know that access to this inspirational content leads to an enhanced understanding of each other’s perspectives across time and space. We can be moved and motivated by people we’ll never meet. That, to me, is the very definition of empathy.
And lo and behold, technology becomes the answer to the “technology problem”, and now I feel a little bit less worried about AI, AR, and ASMR. It sounds counterintuitive, but applied the right way, technology can foster empathy too. Now that’s a proper virtuous circle!
This week I have been…
Watching: The American Revolution
This documentary mini-series is on the history of the founding of America and the people and movements that shaped the country. I was moved to explore this aspect of American history after seeing Hamilton in New York and then again in London with my daughters. The thought of creating a nation from “scratch”, as an experiment in democracy, liberty and a unique national identity is inspiring.
Listening to: Raye
I love ALL her music. Of course, my daughters have her newest track “Where is my Husband” playing in the background on repeat but I was introduced to her music a little while ago. I love her soulful rhythms, her story, her struggles, her ability to mix R&B and jazz – all of it. She is a true talent. My absolute favourite track is Suzanne – a collaboration with Mark Ronson. So soulful and what a genius Mark Ronson is!
Reading: I’m reading two books at the same time:
The Book of Everlasting Things by Aanchal Malhotra which tells the story of Partition in the Asian sub-continent told through the eyes of two protagonists. A remarkable read for those who love history, culture, craftsmanship all while delving into layers of emotions.
Normal Women (900 Years of Making History) by Philippa Gregory is a book that looks at the lives of ‘normal’ English women who helped shape the nation’s identity. They are not, as Gregory says, royalty but ordinary women whose lives tell me so much about the culture, heritage, and traditions of the UK. A great compendium on women’s lives.
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