Technology has brought great benefits to humanity. However, like the concept of “creative destruction” in Economics, technological progress has left many casualties on the fields of culture.
These times are very interesting for sure. The advances in AI and the data being collected on every single human being in variuous avenues is astounding. Noone knows how we will be affected by this, and I can bet that there are many nefarious uses of AI that we are not privy to. I am retired and choose not to take my phone with me a lot of the time now and I choose to keep it turned off most of the time as there is a microphone always collecting information and recording without my consent. I have read a few articles regarding this very issue. So much is being done without our consent and I do feel as though people are detached and not present even while in the presence of friends, family, spouses. There is a constant distraction of checking their phones, and various social media accounts (I believe we are all someone's pet science project and we are being monitored constantly when we comment on YouTube videos, or for clicking "likes". No doubt our social credit scores are being developed at this point). I yearn for the days I grew up in, where people looked each other in the eyes, when speaking to each other, or sitting at a table engaged in real conversations instead of sharing information on their "smart" phones.
I don't know what is in store for your beautiful grandson, but I bet you will do everything to help educate him and steer him in the right direction and protect him from many of the evils we are facing with the technology of today. I really enjoy your Substacks Gene!
I yearn for the same things. It's one reason I moved to rural Ontario. Visits to urban centres remind me of the world we now inhabit which is too material and impersonal for my wife and I. She loves the songs of the birds in the forest that surrounds us and the occasion visits of deer and fox.
These times are very interesting for sure. The advances in AI and the data being collected on every single human being in variuous avenues is astounding. Noone knows how we will be affected by this, and I can bet that there are many nefarious uses of AI that we are not privy to. I am retired and choose not to take my phone with me a lot of the time now and I choose to keep it turned off most of the time as there is a microphone always collecting information and recording without my consent. I have read a few articles regarding this very issue. So much is being done without our consent and I do feel as though people are detached and not present even while in the presence of friends, family, spouses. There is a constant distraction of checking their phones, and various social media accounts (I believe we are all someone's pet science project and we are being monitored constantly when we comment on YouTube videos, or for clicking "likes". No doubt our social credit scores are being developed at this point). I yearn for the days I grew up in, where people looked each other in the eyes, when speaking to each other, or sitting at a table engaged in real conversations instead of sharing information on their "smart" phones.
I don't know what is in store for your beautiful grandson, but I bet you will do everything to help educate him and steer him in the right direction and protect him from many of the evils we are facing with the technology of today. I really enjoy your Substacks Gene!
I yearn for the same things. It's one reason I moved to rural Ontario. Visits to urban centres remind me of the world we now inhabit which is too material and impersonal for my wife and I. She loves the songs of the birds in the forest that surrounds us and the occasion visits of deer and fox.