I think we can almost all agree that technology has marvelous potential regarding overall improvement of our lives. However, from time to time we are presented with a cautionary tale that reminds us there are risks involved with advanced tech; and sometimes its deployment for certain functions can be downright stupid.
My wife and I tend to keep cars for long periods of time. Currently at our house we have an 7-year-old Ford Mustang Convertible, a 12-year-old BMW, and a 16-year-old Hyundai Santa Fe. Recently my wife decided that it was time to replace her car, the BMW. This meant we had to, for the first time in years, shop for a new car.
Since I have rented numerous vehicles in my travels over the years, I am not a neophyte about how technology has advanced in modern vehicles. Still, the amount of computerization in cars today can boggle the minds of those of us who grew up in much simpler times. And the car we purchased this weekend is simply a rolling computer, with absolutely everything capable of being programmed to each driver’s preference. It is a spaceship compared to my first new car purchased 46 years ago.
And if I am being perfectly honest, that also means there are some pretty dumbass features.
There is one in particular that truly gives me pause. The car has built in connected navigation and offers a feature where you can program in your favorite coffee shops or fast-food places – any place with a drive-in window – and when your car arrives at those locations, it will automatically lower the driver’s window.
Oh, thank God. We finally have a tool that eliminates the onerous task of pressing a button to put a window down. How did we ever survive without such a feature? And don’t even think about the hassle of putting that window back up. If your car didn’t have the old fashioned one touch “auto up,” you actually had to HOLD THE BUTTON while the window returned to the closed position. It was just like the stone ages, I’m certain. Well, without the actual stone.
I honestly don’t know how we survived without this new (completely asinine) technological marvel.
Of course, my wife, who at one time was a certified personal trainer, refuses to use drive in windows of any kind. She tends to think we should all park the damn car and get off our fat asses and walk into whatever building we are visiting. So, the automatic window retractor thingy is really a waste in this particular car.
Especially since the windows can also be lowered by voice command – now that is really cool. But I digress…
Which brings me (finally) to my broader point. I wrote a few weeks ago regarding my concerns that with the deployment of ever advancing technology, we run the risk of losing critical human connections and relationships. The people we serve in workers’ comp could quite literally become invisible before our very eyes, as digital communication tools and information services replace the need to interact with the humans we intend to help.
Simply put, technology is at its best when it solves legitimate problems. Deploying technology for technology’s sake is not a good idea. It can serve to complicate issues, and, like our automatic window scenario, just appear to be a complete waste of time and resources.
With the whirlwind adoption of AI based systems, it is a cautionary tale that should remind us to keep human contact and empathy at the forefront of our actions. Technology can certainly make us more efficient, and should in fact free workers to be more engaged, but only if human intelligence designs it that way.
Whether letting your car determine when a window should be lowered or depending completely on an app for interaction with injured workers, the true risk of technology remains primarily in its design and deployment. And whether we like it or not, we humans still have to be smarter than our tech if it is to be used effectively.
