Design in an Age of Madness

When a new, game-changing technology emerges, it's typically accompanied by a high degree of optimism. Evangelists tout how it will change the world, dazzling audiences with their vision of a future, near-utopian state. This optimism is usually overblown, but it helps to center the industry around some core values the inform how the new technology can be implemented in a beneficial way.  

With AI, I don't see or hear a lot of optimism. Many people are already tired of it, and we haven't even gotten very far along with it. There are bright spots, to be sure, but the general vibe is far more pessimistic than it was during the dotcom era or the Web 2.0 revolution.   

Meanwhile, many, many, people are suddenly afraid that they will be replaced, or that they will be perceived as a replaceable cog. A cloud of dread hangs over a good portion of the technology world as the implications of AI become clearer.  

I could spend a whole chapter dissecting why this is right or wrong. But I would prefer to talk about realities so that we can prepare and be ready for the approaching storm. Let's be prepared to meet these new challenges head on, and figure out how we can work in this new world without losing our minds or our souls.