While many people embrace technology and marvel at the promises and benefits it brings to the world, there are still a lot of people who fear it and find it hard to come to terms with the advancements around them.
Why do people fear technology?
Commonly known as technophobia, it is characterised by an aversion or fear of advanced technology or modern devices such as computers, smartphones, etc.
This is a common condition and may not necessarily be a mental health problem, which according to experts, everyone has it but varies depending on the level of one’s awareness, understanding, and knowledge about technology.
But despite these different levels of technophobia, there’s one thing that ties it all together- the feeling of uncertainty that opens up frightening ideas of losing control.
Studies have shown that people are generally scared when the subject or advanced technology comes up regarding the state of tomorrow, such as the prospect of another world war occurring, economic collapse, financial problems that could occur in the future, and loss of employment as a result of automation, etc.
Since time immemorial, people have been prone to worrying about tomorrow because humans have not been able to control the future. The human brain is primed to consider things that are not within the control of humans to be potential threats to survival, which is why it regards technology not only as a potential threat but a harbinger of unpredictability and uncertainty.
Here are several scenarios argued by technology conspiracy theorists and extreme analysts that could affect man’s dominance over the products of technology.
Rise of the automatons
The advent of driverless vehicles has disrupted the automobile and transport industry in general and is expected to take away the jobs of around 70 million people around the globe by 2030.
It does not stop there as automation has also disrupted other major industries such as agriculture, retail, food services, and manufacturing may need to downsize their human workforce within the next few years due to automated processes.
A survey revealed that no less than 62 per cent of Australian adults have expressed their fear over automation, while only around 13 per cent enthusiastically welcomed the integration of automation in the workplace if it were to happen today.
The majority of the survey respondents, however, expressed their hesitations about automated services such are robotic caregivers or driverless cars.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) autonomy
One of artificial intelligence’s primary goals is to streamline processes by collecting data, analysing patterns and trends, and automatically devising ways that avoid redundancy and mistakes.
While AI may be a boon to society and the world, what if the perceived superintelligence of AI would someday eliminate the need for humans to do any or all of the jobs that it could take over to remove the human elements of weakness, imperfections, and failure in a production and manufacturing landscape?
Robotic domination
What about the idea of appreciation for automation turning into dependence? Many people believe that since technology has pervaded so much of man’s everyday lives and lifestyles that could, later on, turn to dependence on technological products and affect the way automation may soon claim dominance over humanity.
For example, researchers are now able to cultivate biomaterials in laboratories to replicate the complex structures of human organs and someday see them as alternatives to replace failing or diseased human organs.
A recent survey, however, found that Australians are apprehensive about considering these breakthroughs as medical miracles where a majority or 69 per cent of the respondents expressed worry over the invention of computer chips in the brain to make humans smarter, 68 per cent fear the consequences of genetic editing to eliminate diseases in newborn children, and 63 per cent afraid of what could happen if synthetic blood is used for athletes or persons with physical disabilities to improve their physical abilities.
But wait, humans will not allow it!
While the human brain can always wonder and think of limitless and countless possibilities such as the rise of technology to take control of humanity, the strengths and imperfections that make us humans are our defences against such threats.
Technology will fail to understand irrational thought
AI operates and thrives on logic and rational thought it does not comprehend irrational thinking. Irrational thought is a human quality that will defy logic which does not fall within the boundaries of AI.
For instance, in social media marketing AI is trained on chatbots to interact with customers based on a programmed set of logical and rational answers to frequently asked questions. However, humans do not always look for rational or logical answers when they need emotional understanding, especially when they want to know if their feelings are justified or valid.
Human behaviour is so complex that it goes beyond logic and rational thought that even the smartest AI algorithm will not be able to fathom.
Technology does not “understand” customer service
Customer service is better left to humans because building and nurturing relationships is a purely human endeavour. Automation and AI are founded on logic and pragmatic solutions to problems, however, it is not equipped to deal with the “human” elements or relationships.
Automation may do well with sending out a communication to prospects and leads, but it does not understand the concept of human emotions such as empathy, joy, sorrow, etc. AI can detect it skin-deep, but it could not go beyond understanding human emotions and thoughts to build and nurture professional relationships.
Technology can influence it, but it cannot control it.