# What world do we choose to build with technology? | Ángel Izurieta | TEDxFrutillar

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwVaUVG1OWk
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/IwVaUVG1OWk
Generated: 2025-11-17T18:36:24.078+00:00

---
## Quick Overview

Ángel Izurieta delivers a TEDx talk encouraging the audience to overcome their fear of modernity and technology, using a personal story about his father's advice from the 15th century as a metaphor for embracing change rather than fearing the consequences of technological advancement like AI.

**Key Points:**
- Technological revolutions, like the one brought by Gutenberg's press, were initially met with fear and anxiety by those whose skills (like scribes) were threatened.
- Izurieta's father, a textile entrepreneur, advised him not to fear modernity but to embrace it, a lesson learned from the historical resistance to printing technology.
- The speaker argues that society currently faces a similar paradigm shift with Artificial Intelligence, leading to fears about job displacement and loss of control.
- He suggests that the real challenge is not what technology will do to us, but how we choose to build the future with it, shifting from being spectators to active architects.
- He shared a personal anecdote where his father's advice helped him avoid fearing the digitalization of his father's business, leading to successful adaptation.
- The core message is to change the question from "What will technology do to us?" to "What world do we choose to build with it?"

![Screenshot at 0:05: Speaker Ángel Izurieta is introduced on the TEDx stage, setting the context for a personal reflection on change and technology.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-00-05.png)

**Context:** Ángel Izurieta, speaking at TEDxFrutillar, discusses the recurring human fear of transformative technologies throughout history, drawing parallels between past industrial shifts and the current anxiety surrounding Artificial Intelligence. The talk centers on overcoming this fear by proactively shaping the future with technology, rather than passively reacting to its disruptive potential, emphasizing the importance of human agency in technological adoption.

## Detailed Analysis

Ángel Izurieta opens by engaging the audience with a visualization exercise, asking them to imagine a world without electricity or the internet, highlighting how dependent modern life is on these technologies (0:18-0:59). He introduces the central theme: the fear of change, citing historical resistance to technological leaps like Gutenberg's printing press in the 15th century, which threatened the livelihood of scribes (1:14-1:35). This historical fear is mirrored today in the apprehension surrounding Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly concerning job displacement and loss of control (2:13-2:57). Izurieta recounts a pivotal moment when his father, a textile entrepreneur who successfully navigated the industrial revolution's impact on his business, advised him: "Son, don't be afraid of modernity. Take advantage of it." (5:03-5:17). This advice gave him a clear perspective, allowing him to see the potential of digitalization in his family's textile business, which ultimately led to success by enabling them to digitize sales catalogs and optimize logistics (4:30-4:55). The speaker challenges the audience to stop asking, "What will technology do to us?" (5:49) and instead ask, "What world do we choose to build with it?" (11:30), urging them to become active architects of the future rather than fearful spectators (11:10-11:15).

### Introduction & Historical Parallel

- Audience visualization exercise without modern tech (0:18-0:59)
- Historical fear of technology exemplified by Gutenberg's press resisting scribes (1:14-1:35)
- Current parallel fear regarding AI and job loss (2:13-2:57)

### Personal Anecdote & Resolution

- Speaker shares his father's advice: embrace modernity, don't fear it (5:03-5:17)
- Father's successful adaptation of his textile business through digitization (4:30-4:55)
- The father's wisdom served as the compass for the speaker's own actions (4:16-4:24)

### Call to Action

- The core challenge is shifting from spectator to active participant (11:10-11:15)
- Changing the fundamental question from being a victim of technology to being its architect (11:30-11:35)
- Audience is urged to actively engage in discussions and shape the future (12:12-13:05)

![Screenshot at 0:05: The opening slide displays the TEDxFrutillar logo against a dramatic smoke effect, establishing the event context.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-00-05.png)
![Screenshot at 0:18: Speaker Ángel Izurieta actively engages the audience during the initial visualization exercise by using hand gestures.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-00-18.png)
![Screenshot at 0:21: The screen displays a close-up of closed eyes, illustrating the initial request to close their eyes and imagine a world without modern technology.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-00-21.png)
![Screenshot at 0:55: The screen displays the question "MIEDO" \(FEAR\), summarizing the core emotional state the speaker addresses regarding technological change.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-00-55.png)
![Screenshot at 1:17: The screen changes to historical images of early printing technology, referencing the fear associated with Gutenberg's press.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-01-17.png)
![Screenshot at 2:05: The screen changes again to show images related to modern life and technology, contrasting with the historical images.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-02-05.png)
![Screenshot at 4:44: The speaker uses open hand gestures while discussing how his father's advice helped him avoid fear when digitizing the family business.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-04-44.png)
![Screenshot at 5:45: The screen shows the quote from the speaker's father: "Hijo, no le tengas miedo a la Modernidad. Aprovéchala." \(Son, don't be afraid of Modernity. Take advantage of it.\), summarizing the key lesson.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-05-45.png)
![Screenshot at 6:11: The screen displays the two fundamental questions posed to the audience: "¿QUÉ ME HARÁ LA TECNOLOGÍA?" and "¿QUÉ PUEDO HACER YO CON ELLA?" \(What will technology do to me? and What can I do with it?\).](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-06-11.png)
![Screenshot at 11:40: The speaker bows to the audience after concluding his talk, receiving applause.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/IwVaUVG1OWk/00-11-40.png)
