Many small rural communities in the U.S. and around the world are losing populations due to mechanization of agriculture, outmigration of young adults pursuing higher education, and an aging of the resident population. These trends led to shrinking markets for essential businesses which, combined with pending retirements of business operators, left these communities with fewer basic services needed to attract and retain populations. Further aggravating the situation is that the small businesses do not receive financial incentives or other support for their operations.

The recent PASCAL and PIMA report on Good Active Ageing, which I edited with Denise Reghenzani Kearns, discussed the implications of the convergence of the demographic and technological revolutions. The demographic revolution with ageing populations is occurring at a time when revolutionary changes in digital technologies associated with artificial intelligence, robotics and biotechnologies are impacting on society with this impact certain to increase. How soon superintelligence arrives is a matter of lively discussion.