As a young boy I was mesmerised by what the future might look like as I sat watching Tomorrow’s World on the BBC.
I even wanted to be an inventor when I ‘grew up’.
Since then, I’ve lived through the introduction of the world wide web, mobile phones, the iPod and iPhone, social media and now AI.
And in an all-too-short moment of brain calm, I had a thought:
Most inventions and innovations are associated with making something faster, easier or more comfortable.
And many slower, harder, less comfortable things have been left behind.
It sounds stupid to have to say this, but when you think about it, what if those slower, harder and less comfortable things are actually better for us? Better for our health, better for our communities, our relationships, and our future lives.
AI is about as fast, easy and comfortable as technology gets. Instant access to information, packaged in a simple to digest format, personalised for you, easily accessible via typing, speaking, or even through automated agents.
And here we are, deeply longing for it to be slower, less helpful, and not as easy, and we won’t admit it. It’s hard to admit it, because it dazzles and delights us.
As I previously wrote on Three Stories, AI-models are optimised for profit over people.
But our precious, perfectly delicate and yet immensely stress-tested human brains are suffering the consequences.
The Harvard Gazette asked the question, ‘Is AI dulling our minds?’ And while an MIT Media Lab study at the time was small and not peer-reviewed, it indicated that “excessive reliance on AI-driven solutions” may contribute to “cognitive atrophy” and shrinking of critical thinking abilities.
So here is my hunch:
To predict the future we should look at areas of life that haven’t yet been optimised for speed, ease or comfort. And instead of optimising them for speed, complexity and convenience, to elevate what gives them intrinsic value towards better health, community cohesion, and relationships etc.
Nostalgia purchases have made a resurgence. USA Today reports that people are after iPods again so they can unplug from constant connection. DVDs are the new vinyl records, according to the Los Angeles Times. And if you have a load of old music cassette tapes or a cassette player, then you might be able to cash in and have some left over to pay off your mortgage…
Most people won’t admit it, many don’t realise it, but our deep longing for a slower, steadier and simpler world is growing.
I’m going to share another reflection about winning slow soon, based on a personal goal I thought I’d never achieve. Look out for it on Three Stories.