Eliminating(iˈliməˌnāt) the Human

Eliminating(iˈliməˌnāt) the Human

We are beset(biˈset) by—and immersed(iˈmərs) in—apps and devices(diˈvīs) that are quietly(ˈkwīət) reducing(riˈd(y)o͞os) the amount of meaningful interaction we have with each other.

by David(ˈdāvid) Byrne

I have a theory(ˈTHi(ə)rē,ˈTHēərē) that much recent(ˈrēsənt) tech(tek) development(diˈveləpmənt) and innovation(ˌinəˈvāSHən) over the last decade(ˈdekād) or so has an unspoken(ˌənˈspōkən) overarching(ˌōvərˈärCHiNG) agenda(əˈjendə). It has been about creating the possibility(ˌpäsəˈbilətē) of a world with less human interaction. This tendency(ˈtendənsē) is, I suspect, not a bug(bəg)—it’s a feature(ˈfēCHər). We might think Amazon(-zən,ˈaməˌzän) was about making books available(əˈvāləbəl) to us that we couldn’t find locally—and it was, and what a brilliant(ˈbrilyənt) idea—but maybe it was also just as much about eliminating human contact.

The consumer(kənˈso͞omər) technology I am talking about doesn’t claim(klām) or acknowledge(akˈnälij) that eliminating the need to deal(dēl) with humans directly(diˈrektlē) is its primary(ˈprīm(ə)rē,ˈprīˌmerē) goal(gōl), but it is the outcome in a surprising(sə(r)ˈprīziNG) number of cases(kās). I’m sort of thinking maybe it is the primary goal, even if it was not aimed(ām) at consciously(ˈkänCHəs). Judging(jəj) by the evidence(ˈevədəns), that conclusion(kənˈklo͞oZHən) seems inescapable(ˌiniˈskāpəbəl).

This then, is the new norm(nôrm). Most of the tech news we get barraged(bəˈräZH) with is about algorithms(ˈalgəˌriT͟Həm), AI, robots(ˈrōbət,ˈrōˌbät), and self-driving(ˈdrīviNG) cars, all of which fit this pattern(ˈpatərn). I am not saying(saying) that such developments are not efficient(iˈfiSHənt) and convenient(kənˈvēnyənt); this is not a judgment. I am simply(ˈsimplē) noticing a pattern and wondering if, in recognizing(ˈrekigˌnīz,ˈrekə(g)ˌnīz) that pattern, we might realize that it is only one trajectory(trəˈjektərē) of many. There are other possible roads we could be going down, and the one we’re on is not inevitable(inˈevitəbəl) or the only one; it has been (possibly unconsciously) chosen(ˈCHōzən).