We talk a lot these days about getting robots to do our grunt work. Say, delivering a pizza, crunching in numbers, picking up garbage, etc.
These articles, videos, and images depicting these machines in action are cool and compelling. Most importantly, they make sense––why rely on a human to handle the last mile of a global supply chain when cars, drones, and other vehicles are getting so good at autonomous navigation? In fact, why rely on humans to do anything when robots can probably do it better?
And sure, this is fantastic for the world of technology and an astounding testament to human ingenuity. Well done to all the brilliant engineers for developing these amazing new forms of technology that will ultimately make life easier!
Life easier?
But isn't life not easy? Isn't life "not fair"?
Watch any motivational speech on YouTube; the one thing they always say is: LIFE ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE EASY.
So what are we doing then trying to make it just that? Or, a better question: are our attempts at ease really making life any easier?
How modern can modern go? More like: how modern does modern NEED to go? I'm not saying we should go back to riding horses as transportation. I'm not saying we need to scrap pens and start writing with feathered quills. All I'm saying is that maybe we should take a break. It's not you, technology, but it's also probably you!
My problem is specifically with automation. There's no doubt: automation showcases the amazing potential of human creativity. From self-checkout kiosks at the grocery store to voice-activated assistants that turn off the lights when you're feeling too cozy to get up from the couch, automation is everywhere, making our lives more efficient.
ChatGPT? Honestly, it's genius. I have no idea how OpenAI coded such a thing. Instantly, a self-generated essay is written, just for you.
But, remember the days when you'd strike up a conversation with the cashier while checking out at the store? How about the satisfaction of penning your own essay? Maybe going to your English teacher to talk about some ideas and feeling genuine pride in your own work?
It's not just the lack of human interaction, but the lack of even doing human tasks in general. I mean, turning off the lights? You need an Alexa to turn the lights off for you? Are you f'ing kidding me?
Getting food. Yes, having a drone or some crap fly over and deliver a meal in 10 or so minutes is pretty convenient. But, what about sharing a meal with loved ones? A meal YOU actually prepared? Automation may give us speed, but does it rob us of the simple pleasures that kindle our sense of vitality?
In its quest for efficiency, automation can inadvertently foster detachment from the world around us. We're so engrossed in our screens and devices that we sometimes forget the warmth of a genuine human connection. It's as if we're gradually metamorphosing into tech-obsessed automatons.
Life isn't easy. Horrible cliché that my English teacher would absolutely call me out for if I ever used it in a real essay, but it's definitely true. Life for robots would be pretty easy, I assume. They're devoid of emotions, inanimate objects meticulously executing algorithms and commands, never erring.
Perhaps life isn't meant to be easy because it's precisely this complexity that defines our humanity. Imagine how much we would miss out on if everything was always done for us. If I were to think back on all my fond memories, they would all stem from me doing some sort of human activity, whether it be shopping with Mom or playing soccer with the "bros".
As we continue developing autonomous technology, are we slowly becoming mere spectators to our own lives, outsourcing the very essence of what it means to be human?
We should switch gears, probably to the ones nestled in your brain, not the machine.
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