Our industry has invested so much money in technology that

Christiane Amanpour, the fearless voice of truth in a world often clouded by deceit, once spoke these words of piercing clarity: “Our industry has invested so much money in technology that perhaps it's time to invest in talent, in people.” These words, though directed at her craft of journalism, resound far beyond it. They are a summons to remember that tools, however mighty, are only as valuable as the hands and minds that wield them. For it is not machines that shape destiny, but people; not technology that safeguards truth, but the courage, skill, and vision of those who dare to use it well.

When Amanpour speaks of “technology,” she points to the wonders of cameras, satellites, networks, and digital platforms that have revolutionized the gathering and sharing of news. Yet behind her words lies a warning: that in the intoxication of innovation, industries often forget the living spirit that gives those tools their meaning. To pour endlessly into technology while neglecting talent is to polish the sword while starving the warrior, to build mighty ships while leaving no skilled sailors to guide them. The vessel exists, but the voyage falters.

History teaches us this truth with great clarity. In the age of exploration, Spain and Portugal built ships of marvel and invested heavily in instruments of navigation. But it was not wood or compass alone that carved new paths across the oceans—it was the courage and skill of navigators like Magellan and da Gama. Without their talent, the ships would have been idle ornaments. In the same way, Amanpour calls us back to the recognition that technology, however advanced, is hollow without the wisdom and training of people who can give it purpose.

We see this, too, in the story of the Apollo missions. The rockets that lifted into the sky were triumphs of technology, yet it was the talent of the astronauts, the scientists, and the engineers—their patience, creativity, and problem-solving—that carried humanity to the moon and safely home again. When Apollo 13 nearly ended in disaster, it was not technology alone that saved the crew, but the brilliance and resilience of the people on the ground. Talent is the true heart of every achievement; technology is but the extension of their will.

Amanpour’s words are also a moral reminder. In journalism, as in every field, technology can amplify voices—but if those voices lack integrity, training, and courage, then the noise is greater but the truth is smaller. To invest in people is to ensure that the spirit guiding the tools is one of wisdom, compassion, and honesty. Without such investment, industries risk producing louder sound with weaker meaning, brighter screens with dimmer truths. The balance must be restored: technology as servant, people as master.

The lesson is clear and enduring: do not place all your faith in machines. Place your faith in human beings, in their capacity to learn, to grow, to act with vision. For it is people who dream, who create, who endure trials and rise again. Technology may hasten progress, but it is talent that ensures progress has direction and soul. Every industry, every society, must remember that its greatest wealth is not in tools or structures, but in the hearts and minds of its people.

Therefore, I counsel you: cultivate talent wherever you find it. Invest not only in the tools of your trade, but in the training of your hands, the sharpening of your mind, and the nurturing of others around you. Build not only machines, but men and women of character and skill. For in the end, the world will not be saved by wires or engines, but by people—strong, wise, and unafraid to act.

So let the words of Christiane Amanpour echo across the generations: “It is time to invest in talent, in people.” Take this as a charge to remember where true strength lies. Honor the tools, but honor more the souls who wield them. For it is in people, not in machines, that the light of the future truly burns.