Nicholas Carr has another potentially disturbing amendment to “The Glass Cage”
on his blog: “Media Takes Command.” Where automation is taking us, indeed! Just
two minor qualms: 1) There has never been real “panic about automation”
in the US, despite the dire warnings of a few smart “Luddites” – there is too
much “positivity bias” around for that. 2) Automation will not just displace
some and change the nature of work and the skill sets of others – it is already
changing us, and particularly our kids, at the most basic neurosomatic level (this,
I thought, was the central idea of the “Google making us stupid” piece – and it
must make it easier for humans to be replaced by bots). And it can’t all be for
the better – unless my Bulgarian “negativity bias” is way too strong…
