Template:M intro technology robomorphism: Difference between revisions
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But the converse is just as important: we should not describe what humans do in terms meant for machines — we shouldn’t ''robomorphise'', or evaluate human performance in terms suited to machine behaviour. This is to make a grievous category error. | But the converse is just as important: we should not describe what humans do in terms meant for machines — we shouldn’t ''robomorphise'', or evaluate human performance in terms suited to machine behaviour. This is to make a grievous category error. | ||
This does not just invite [[technological redundancy]] — which, in its place, is no bad thing — we do not lament the demise of proofreaders over delta-view | This does not just invite [[technological redundancy]] — which, in its place, is no bad thing — we do not lament the demise of proofreaders over delta-view — mechanisation promises to clear away the [[tedium]] and bureaucratic sludge in well-understood, low-risk, standard processes — but that seems not to be the aspiration of the thought leaders. | ||
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” says Arthur C. Clarke — the jury is out whether AI is different, but it is not unreasonable to proceed on the assumption it is not, and foolish to do otherwise. | “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” says Arthur C. Clarke — the jury is out whether AI is different, but it is not unreasonable to proceed on the assumption it is not, and foolish to do otherwise. | ||
The main use cases for machines in any industry from the beginning of civilisation are these: power, speed, accuracy, efficiency, economy. | |||
The main use cases for machines in any industry from the beginning of civilisation are these: ''power'', ''speed'', ''accuracy'', ''efficiency'', ''economy''. Machines do things easier and cheaper and quicker than humans. They always have done. Per George Gilder: | |||
They therefore work best in constrained, predictable environments that have, as far as possible, been preconfigured to eliminate unknowns and minimise waste | {{quote|“The claim of superhuman performance seems rather overwrought to me. Outperforming unaided human beings is what machines are supposed to do. That’s why we build them.”<ref> ''Life After Google: The Fall of Big Data and the Rise of the Blockchain Economy'' (2018)</ref>}} | ||
The service industry | They therefore work best in constrained, predictable environments that have, as far as possible, been preconfigured to eliminate unknowns and minimise waste, such as a factory production line. Human intervention is minimised and, where possible, eliminated. | ||
Where this can be done easily, it has been: deltaview. | |||
But matters requiring human interaction have been harder to fully automate. The typical reactions have been to triage — delay the intervention of a human as long as possible — or to “self serve” — a rather cheeky means of getting the consumer to do part of the work, or absorb its expense — for you. Ryanair | === Why humans don’t work in manufacturing any more === | ||
Internet enabled | Therefore humans have been largely absent from production industries — this has been a great driver of the colossal pivot to the service industry. It isn’t that we ''don’t'' make things any more: it‘s just that most of the time we don’t need ''humans'' to do it. We have optimised and configured the production industry so it can work by itself. | ||
The service industry has undergone a similar process over the last forty years, expecially as it ballooned with refugees from manufacturing. Where it can, it will eliminate expensive, manual processes that can be done automatically. | |||
Where this can be done easily, it has been: deltaview, for example. Law firms used hire teams of “document examiners”. Likewise email obviated the fax room and, largely the mail room. | |||
But matters requiring human interaction have been harder to fully automate. The typical reactions have been to [[triage]] — delay the intervention of a human as long as possible — or to “self-serve” — a rather cheeky means of getting the consumer to do part of the work, or absorb its expense — for you. | |||
Ryanair is the master of this — it even charges customers for getting their booking wrong! | |||
(penalising humans for their own human frailty is the ultimate in chutzpah) but it happens within and without organisations. | |||
Internet enabled outsourcing service to the customer or consumer. Typing pool! |