Striking the right balance between Technology and Humanity
In a world full of constant advancements, the roles of intelligence and creativity are inevitable. Technology is surely a product of this. It would be an understatement to say that technology dictates our lives. However, without being very cautious and aware of the dangers - and significance - of combining human interaction with artificial intelligence, we could head down the wrong path.
Why worship Technology?
Let’s start with an easy example. We all have smartphones, technology that is now ruling the world. I am not saying that it has no value. It helps us do many things that the human race couldn’t do 100 years back. The world is fast and so do we want to be quick about everything: answers, orders, comfort. We have our classes, applications that define our lifestyle, games to entertainment packed in a single handy gadget. Yet, we are so deeply drowned in them that we often forget our surroundings.
Technology has helped to bridge a global gap during the age of globalization. This bridge has allowed multitudes to learn about the world, and connect with others, in ways that were previously impossible. Travelling across the world by booking tickets and a hotel from one’s smartphone also allowed for fast, convenient and efficient completion of the desired task (travelling), which, unlike before, does not require a travel agent, thus making the task more streamlined. Online and mobile banking has also largely replaced the need to interact with a bank teller for monetary transactions, as have ATM machines, which save time, resources and overhead while increasing task efficiency and efficacy.
Why do we blame technology when it is everything?
Technology has both eliminated a gap and created one. Virtual distance is the phenomenon where people are physically together but detached from each other due to being completely absorbed with their technological device, such as a laptop or smartphone/tablet (mobile device). This translates to couples, parents and children, and all types of other human interactions being relegated to the background while people are busy connecting with others in digital space via their technological device.
It is not uncommon for people to prefer texting instead of actually meeting, or at the very least, calling and thus hearing another human voice. It is also not uncommon for people to walk around, or even sit with others, head bowed to their digital device without saying a word or even noticing anything about anyone else. Human interactions and relationships have thus largely decreased, while intimacy and human-to-human interactions have been replaced with human-to-machine interactions. Technology has helped to modify human behaviour by creating a gap between people and reducing intimacy. In an age where robots and AI are slowly replacing humans within the workplace, this interaction between humans and machines is only set to increase.
The balance
The truth is that it is inevitable that the evolution of emerging technologies is going to have a significant impact on today’s workforce, and there’s no denying that some roles will no longer require humans in the future. But that’s not to say that a future alongside machines is going to be a bad one in which all humans are left without work. Our future with machines is going to be one of partnership and enhancement, not a sweeping replacement. As far as I am concerned, the world is full of complexities we don’t understand, but humans always find their place to live alongside them. As a great man once said, “It’s not always about dominating the landscape. It is also about co-existing!”
