In this blog post, we explore how technological progress transforms human life while also contemplating the potential intellectual decline that machine dependency may bring.
Technology is one of the key driving forces behind human progress. From Stone Age tools to modern artificial intelligence, humans have always advanced technology to achieve a better life. Today, we enjoy levels of convenience unimaginable in the past, with countless machines at the heart of it all. The advancement of machines has greatly enhanced productivity, saved time, and significantly elevated our quality of life. However, discussions about the negative impacts of this rapidly developing technology and machinery on us are also increasing. A prominent concern is that uncritical dependence on technology could lead to the degeneration of human capabilities. This goes beyond mere convenience, potentially leading to a situation where machines take over human intellectual activities.
Many people experience inconveniences like being unable to contact close acquaintances because they can’t recall their phone numbers after losing or breaking their mobile phone until they get a new one. If you use a smartphone, you’ll likely face problems beyond just the inconvenience of being unreachable. This is one manifestation of ‘digital dementia,’ a state where intellectual abilities like memory and calculation skills have significantly declined due to over-reliance on various digital devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, and computers. While everyone believes they hold the power to turn their phones on and off, examples like digital dementia symptoms make us question whether we truly control machines. Could it be that we are instead controlled and dominated by them?
We use machines because they undeniably provide convenience. However, as machines increasingly take over tasks humans once performed, we tend to do less of the familiar work. From simple calculators to microwaves, cell phones, computers, air conditioners, cars, airplanes, and industrial machinery, machines calculate, walk, memorize, and work for us. And using all these convenient machines feels irreversible. Once a machine is created, it initially exists as an alternative, but once we become accustomed to it, choosing whether to use it or not seems impossible.
The more accustomed we become to machines, the less physical and mental activity we engage in. Since the human body and brain deteriorate without use, we increasingly rely on machines for more activities. Moreover, our dependence on machines extends beyond mere convenience. Because machines can handle tasks we cannot perform faster and more accurately, we entrust them with an ever-growing share of our work. Yet, there is one crucial fact we must not overlook. As the volume of information machines process increases, we run the risk of entrusting increasingly critical judgments to them.
I am particularly wary of humanity’s intelligent dependence on machines. As societal problems grow more complex and machines develop more sophisticated intelligence, there may come a time when machines make decisions more efficiently than humans. Furthermore, humans might become incapable of making decisions themselves, leading to complete dependence on machines. If that happens, dependence on machines could become a critical issue affecting the very survival of humanity, not merely a problem like digital dementia.
This would be a far more serious situation than dependence on cars, microwaves, or simple word processing programs. The movie The Matrix shows us a dark future that could arise from such a scenario, serving as a warning about dependence on machines. In the film, set in the early 21st century, technology had advanced tremendously, and humanity lived largely dependent on machines. During this time, humans succeeded in creating machines with artificial intelligence. However, as many had feared, friction arose with these AI machines. Humans, weakened by their dependence on machines, lost the war and fell under machine domination. Ultimately, humanity met a grim fate, reduced to becoming ‘batteries’.
This may sound like a story from a distant future, but intelligent dependence on machines is already a problem today. In the case of digital dementia, the brain responds to repetitive stimuli, improving performance, but if that function isn’t used, the ability declines. This mechanism is also observed in many internet users who, when encountering something unknown, rely solely on Google searches to get a quick answer and then forget it again. Furthermore, as nearly all drivers today rely on navigation systems, their spatial reasoning abilities decline. Because navigation handles the process of finding routes, the human brain uses that function less. This means the brain development pathways of someone who reads a map and finds their own way versus someone who only follows navigation are very different.
So, to avoid dependence on machines, should we reject all the benefits of technology and live in this highly scientifically and technologically advanced world? That is not the case. Human ancestors have always pursued convenience by using tools, and technology has already become part of us. Therefore, we cannot completely block it. To address this issue, I propose the selective use of machines. For example, the Amish people test new technologies and boldly abandon them if they don’t meet their standards. While we may not reject modern civilization entirely like them, we should be able to use machines selectively.
The problem of machine dependency extends beyond the individual level to become a social and political issue. The machines and technologies we use today are interconnected through a global network. If this system fails, it could significantly impact the economy, public services, and even national security. To prevent this, we need to carefully consider machine usage and have the resolve to forgo convenience when necessary.
Ultimately, we must become mature users capable of weighing the benefits and drawbacks, rather than unconditionally accepting machines. It is time to cultivate the ability to manage machines and utilize them selectively, adopting the mindset of a slow adopter.