In a recent article published by The New York Times, robot designer Carla Diana wrote about possible technological advances that in the future will “praise, encourage, advise and comfort us.” The problem with these advances is their surmounting consequences when it comes to the unstable relationship between humans and technology.
People can barely keep their iPhones and iPads away during dinner at restaurants and other social places. Yet, according to the article, we are ready for robots, sensor-based animated objects and screens, which will have the intelligence to reciprocate complex human emotions.
Consequences for the future and the present include our productivity level, attention towards one another and rich human connection through face-to-face interaction decreasing due to intelligent software doing most, if not all, of our work and interaction.
An app that helps you with your e-mail organization, weather information, social information and daily schedule doesn’t sound bad, but when the same app becomes smart enough to decide whether or not it’s OK to head out without a raincoat, something is wrong.
Our technology grows and integrates itself into our daily lives in very deep ways. I wake up to an alarm clock every morning on my iPhone, check the same iPhone for new updates, e-mails, unread texts and news. A beep from my coffee machine lets me know it’s an appropriate time to go downstairs, where my coffee is already made.
In addition, my toothbrush is fully charged by the time I go upstairs and it lets me know when to stop brushing with three distinct vibrations. Most of us can relate to this routine at certain intervals throughout our day. Our increasing dependency and attachment to technology proves itself negative because it’s not yet balanced and integrated into our lives in healthy ways.
Apart from all the romanticized stories of technology saving us and creating a better world, the dark abyss of the collective human ego has a chance to mirror itself through what we make. An example of ego in technology is all of the social websites created in the last 10 years. Let’s face it; Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have less to do with temporarily sharing rich, meaningful and inspiring messages to those close to you, and more with blatantly expressing your polished, edited and likeable version of yourself, what you eat and all the wonderful fake friends you have.
As our relationship with technology deepens, it’s time we read the fine print and realize all of this stuff we have is exactly that, stuff. Stuff made for responsible, detached, balanced and intelligent use. Nothing more.
