Eliminating the Human

The article argues that a large part of recent tech development seems aimed at reducing direct human contact. It groups together services and systems such as online ordering, gig work, Airbnb, digital music, driver apps, driverless cars, automated checkout, AI, robots, personal assistants, data analysis, gaming, stock trading, MOOCs, and social media as examples of this pattern.

It also says the trend is not only about efficiency or convenience. The author suggests it may be shaped by the people building these systems, especially engineers who prefer more frictionless, quantifiable interactions. The closing argument is that less human interaction can weaken cooperation, social connection, and the messy but useful role of emotion, surprise, and mutual dependence in human life.

Reading notes

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• Recent tech often removes the need to deal with humans directly.
• Online ordering, delivery, automated checkout, and driverless systems reduce contact in ordinary life.
• Digital platforms can replace social exchange with screens, recommendations, and algorithms.
• AI and robots are presented as able to take over more decisions and labor.
• Social media simulates connection but can also amplify division, envy, and unhappiness.
• The author suggests engineers and coders may unconsciously build a world that suits their own discomfort with interaction.
• The shift toward automation raises questions about work, wages, and who benefits.
• Human emotion, unpredictability, and cooperation are described as important strengths, not just liabilities.
• If people lose practice in interacting and cooperating, society may lose something essential.