de·moc·ra·tize

tr.v. de·moc·ra·tized, de·moc·ra·tiz·ing, de·moc·ra·tiz·es

1 : to make (a country or organization) more democratic
2 : to make (something) available to all people : to make it possible for all people to understand (something)

Prosperity and Democratization

A recent article by McKinsey & Company, a top global management consulting firm, defines prosperity in a society as “the accumulation and availability of solutions to human problems.” This redefinition of prosperity in terms of accumulated solutions, as opposed to the accumulation of currency or financial wealth, is more intuitive and true to human experience. Few people would exchange even a humble lifestyle in today’s developed countries, with ready access to air conditioning, food, antibiotics, mechanized transportation, and instant global communication for a life in even the wealthier castes of the middle ages. The solutions that are available today at affordable prices are vastly superior to the solutions that were available to the wealthiest among us in the past. This, in essence is the democratization of solutions — when they become accumulated and widely available to an increasingly large portion of a society.

Technology’s Influence on Democratization

This accumulation and availability of solutions is largely the result of improvements in technology, which have democratized many of the things we take for granted today. Technology has also been used for the concentration of power in the short term, but in the longer term it tends to democratize our world as it becomes more widely available. This has tended to be true for the entirety of civilization’s history. Our nomadic ancestors used spears and slings to increase their catch, giving some individuals a temporary personal advantage, but the technology soon became ubiquitous, thereby providing more protein to the tribe. As man is a social ape, this prosperity brought with it the increased availability of and access to food for all of the tribe over time.

The Internet and the Democratization of Information

The printing press made books, and the knowledge within them, affordable for much larger numbers of people than ever before. This was an early step in the democratization of information that galvanized cultures and spurred innovation, arguably helping to catalyze the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution. The internet brought yet another boom of democratization of information. The production and dissemination of information have become affordable or largely free for anyone with a computer or smartphone with an internet connection. Solutions to the problems we face, both dire and trivial, are often just a quick search away. According to our definition of prosperity, the vast democratization of information has increased human prosperity on an equally vast scale. This phenomenon has already changed the way we communicate, and is still revolutionizing the way we collaborate for business, political action, and how we go about our relationships.

3D Printing and the Democratization of Things

3D printing is in its early stages of development, but has the potential to do for the physical world what the internet did for information and the virtual world. Many 3D objects and tools are now readily available for download (often for free) and printing anywhere in the world. The price of printers has decreased dramatically from their inception several decades ago, making accessible to households what was once only available to industrial manufacturing companies. The resolution of the printers is increasing rapidly, the materials the printers are able to use (and use together at once) are increasing, and the learning curve for 3D design software is steadily decreasing. This is all leading to one very exciting place — the democratization of things.

Disintermediation and the Accessibility of Things

Much like Google brought us access to an entire world of information on any topic, vast collections of 3D designs that can readily be brought into the physical world now exist and are quickly growing. Just as the information industry (academia, media, and publishers of books and media) was disintermediated by the internet and sites like Google, Amazon, iTunes, and torrent sites, the guardians and middlemen at the gateways to things are now being disrupted by 3D printing. This is a result of several factors:

• 3D designs are becoming widely available at low to no cost. Online marketplaces for 3D designs are growing quickly, and many of their designs are being given away for free. This will make the type of thing irrelevant in terms of price, only material and resolution will determine cost. One example is prosthetic arms for children, which once cost upwards of $50,000, can now be printed for under $50 without the hassle of a doctor’s visit or dealing with insurance claims.
• Design and copying of physical things is becoming increasingly easy.Many design software programs are easy to use and training is readily available. In addition, 3D scanning software enables people to 3D print from photos taken with 3D scanning attachments. This will only become cheaper and more ubiquitous, making control of reproduction of objects nearly impossible.
• The capability of 3D printers to produce evermore sophisticated objects is increasing rapidly. Printers once only produced objects of one type or color of material, and at low resolution and strength. New printers are coming on the market that have the ability to print an increasing number of materials, color of materials, resolution, and strength. This trend will continue to produce higher-quality, and more sophisticated products as time goes on.
• 3D printing is becoming cheaper and more accessible. The price of 3D printers is coming down rapidly, and hasn’t bottomed out yet. Much like Uber and AirBNB, distributed 3D printing service websites like 3D Hubs are connecting people with printers to people who want to print, without the intermediaries that inflate prices and increase barriers as they concentrate market power. This is good news for affordable printing, and people who want to make money with their 3D printer.

Implications of the Democratization of Things

No one can truly predict how the democratization of things will change the world. However, we can imagine some scenarios that could unfold due to the widespread accessibility of things. Some possible implications of 3D printing and the democratization of things include:

Lower costs for previously expensive products — this is most obvious in the prosthetic and health care industry in general. However, other specialized parts for other products could also bring down costs for replacements, personalization, and upgrades.

Dramatic increase in personalization — with the reduction in price for personalization to essentially zero, personalization becomes the norm, rather than the exception. We could live in a world with shoes, furniture, and nearly all other products are personalized just for us.

Changing IP laws and business models — as nearly all objects become replicable and personalizable, it will become harder to protect and control a particular product’s use, reuse, production, or customization. Business models built on controlling these products may go the way of the record label and the newspaper.

Easier reuse leads to longer product lifetimes and sustainability — with the ability to fix products easily comes longer product lifetimes and more convenient repair of household furniture, appliances, and other products. Planned obsolescence could be replaced by continuous design or functionality upgrades with less waste.

More plastic consumption and waste — one dangerous element of this widespread availability of products is the increased demand for plastics and other materials. Fortunately, some enterprising companies are already creating recycling machines that turn waste plastic into 3D printing material.

Reduction in appeal of conspicuous consumption — with the ready availability of nearly anything and prices based on material used alone comes a potential reduction in the status gained in showing one’s ability to consume. This instinct could be replaced by the urge to demonstrate one’s individuality or creativity of design.

Change in economic models and functions of money — this one could be considered a utopian exercise, but let’s have some fun. The widespread availability of almost anything attacks the scarcity assumption that underlies our economic models. Once people have access to 3D printed food, tools, medical care, and gadgets to their heart’s desire, does this catalyze the post-scarcity and moneyless economy of Star Trek?

3D Printing for Humanity is one company working to democratize the creation and availability of socially beneficial 3D designs in order to help people improve their health, prosperity, mobility, and even self-esteem. I hope that through the work of this company and others like it resource security, self-determination, and empowered creativity will be truly democratized for all.

What do you think? What will 3D printing and the Democratization of Things do for our lives, our economies, and our societies? Leave a comment below or share on social media.

Original article posted here: http://3dprintingforhumanity.com/2014/10/17/3d-printing-and-the-democratization-of-things/