THE PEOPLE DO NOT YEARN FOR AUTOMATION

The idea that people hate AI is not just a media narrative, but a fundamental disconnect between how tech people with software brains see the world and how regular people are living their lives. Software brain views the world as a series of databases that can be controlled with structured language and software code. This way of thinking has been turbocharged by AI, leading to an enormous gap between excitement in the tech industry and dislike from the general public, particularly Gen Z. The problem is not marketing or education, but rather a misunderstanding of human experience. People don’t want to be flattened into databases that can be controlled with software code. They value ambiguity, nuance, and creativity, which are essential for human connection and understanding. The tech industry’s relentless focus on AI as a means to automate business processes is a failure when it comes to adapting to humans. Computers should adapt to people, not the other way around. The ask to make oneself more legible to software is a doomed idea that may lead to catastrophic cybersecurity problems and a loss of human connection. The tech industry’s narrow framework of software brain is asking people to surrender their autonomy and agency in exchange for efficiency and productivity. This is not a deal worth making, especially when it comes at the cost of energy, emissions, manufacturing capacity, and the ability to buy RAM. It’s time for the tech industry to reevaluate its approach to AI and recognize that humans are not just data points or machines that can be optimized. They are complex, messy, and beautiful beings who value creativity, connection, and ambiguity.