My Dream Technology

My parents have lived their whole lives in the same town where they were born. Apart from the college years and postings during the early years of their careers, they have called one town their home.

I and my sister have considered this to be the reason why they remember every road taken and create maps in their heads of the new ones that are being built. We have scorned and rolled our eyes when they ask us to take heed of every turn we take while driving. We have advocated our dependency on Google Maps.

But on one fine ride through the dam roads connecting the new, contemporary part of town to the history-soaked, old part of town, my views on their insistent advice were shed on by new light.

My mum said, remembering roads keeps our brains sharp. It makes our brain muscles work out and not die with the influx of technology that is available to make our lives easier but lazier.

I agreed with her but didn’t voice it.

A past scroll through LinkedIn popped into my head. I had congratulated a batchmate of mine who was an AI enthusiast, on creating an AI machine that could write essays or any form of write-up for you no matter the topic you throw at it.

Though I had appreciated his idea, incredible knowledge, and coding skills, I didn’t and don’t truly approve of any technology that accelerates the rate at which humans are becoming dumber and lazier.

There was a deep sense of sorrow and angst for the people who have natural talent, and knowledge and put in the time, energy, and effort to write worth-reading essays.

Technology comes from the conjunction of two Greek words, Techne + Logia. “Techne”, means art or craft. So, my dream technology is anything that solves deep-rooted problems in society, something that makes lives easier where it has to be and does not buttress the lazy butts, that hide away the real, hidden stars.