Summary

The article discusses the potential for technology, particularly in the form of artificially intelligent automatons, to free humans from mundane chores and increase leisure time.

Abstract

The author reflects on the promise of technology to liberate humans from tedious tasks, a promise that has not fully materialized as productivity gains have not translated into more leisure time for workers. The article envisions a future where artificially intelligent helpers, absent of sentience, could handle domestic tasks such as cooking, cleaning, and shopping, thereby allowing humans to enjoy more personal time for creative pursuits, relaxation, and self-improvement. The author contrasts this ideal scenario with the current reality of long working hours and stagnant wages, emphasizing the need for technology to genuinely enhance the quality of life.

Opinions

The author is optimistic about the potential of AI and automation to take over mundane tasks, providing humans with more leisure time.
There is a concern that while technology has advanced and increased productivity, the benefits have not been equitably shared with workers.
The author suggests that the future of technology should focus on creating synthetic helpers that can perform domestic chores without the ethical complications of sentience.
The article implies a critique of the current state of affairs where technology has led to increased work hours and lower remuneration for many, contrary to the predictions of more free time.
The author values personal time highly and sees technology as a means to pursue activities that bring joy and fulfillment, such as writing, exercising, and engaging with art.
The author is not in favor of a dependency on convenience foods due to their negative impact on health and prefers the idea of automatons facilitating healthier eating habits through food preparation.
The article expresses a desire for technology to contribute to a more equitable society, where Universal Basic Income is campaigned for, and the lives of homeless individuals are improved.

I Want Me But Absent of Sentience

To be free of tedious chores would be a dream scenario.

Where does the technology come into this story?

It might be a dishwasher, but you know it still has to be loaded by a human.

We could live on microwaveable ready meals and junk food (those of us who don’t already — I’m not judging (much)) However, they are expensive, calorie-laden, and often of little nutritional value. Or we could buy prepared fresh fruit and veggies; a healthier option.

Toasted cheese sandwiches, squished by one of those toastie makers, might be a possibility, for convenience, but anything eaten over and over gets monotonous. Also, there’s still the washing up. For humans. Do you see where we are going with this?

When are we going to get our own super-efficient, artificially intelligent simulated humans? They’ll arrive in our homes pre-programmed, to do all the tedious tasks we humans don’t care for.

If you watched Humans (the joint Channel 4 and AMC TV show), you may be thinking, oh no! What if the Synths are really sentient beings? That would be a disaster. Or, if the iRobot were a stupid Roomba that gets stuck between chair legs and needs a human to help it get going again. Not much use if you set it to suck up all the dust and pet hair while you were at work!

Wouldn’t you love a mega bot like the graceful pickers in the Amazon warehouses? You can bet your bottom dollar they get every task done with speed, quality, and precision. Think of the possibilities …

When I was a teenager at school in the seventies, I was promised more leisure time thanks to future technology that would be able to do many of the tasks humans were, at the time, bound to do. What happened?

Technology advanced and company owners did take advantage of labour-saving innovation. Productivity and profits soared. However, somewhere along the line, workers stopped benefitting. We didn’t get more leisure time. In fact, many humans in the UK now work longer hours for less remuneration to survive. In the UK, there are now 14 million people living in poverty. That’s quite a turn around from the prediction I was aiming for.

Technology has to have some real leisure time boosting qualities for the workers. Forget the water-guzzling dishwasher. I’d like my synthetic me, with just enough artificial intelligence, to do all the food shopping, prepping, and cooking. Then clean up the kitchen and do the washing up. I’d also like it to plump my pillows daily, shake the duvet and straighten it. Do the laundry once a week. I’d let it off ironing because I don’t own anything that needs ironing. In fact, I don’t own an iron. Tidy up, dust, and vacuum once a week. Clean the kitchen and bathroom on a daily basis.

All those tedious chores hold zero interest for me and could so easily be done by an automaton. I’ll call mine Cinderella, it will be absent of sentience and there will be no bonding. In my mind, technology should be working to improve our lives; freeing up our time to create and pursue joyful lives instead of being forced to be slaves to money.

Just think how much me-time we could have to write and power walk on the beach or in the countryside; climb mountains and hike up hills. Wouldn’t you love the time to create your art, see your friends, and watch Netflix whenever you like?! What else would you do with all your freed up time?

Thanks for reading.

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In her spare time, Karen Madej is a writer and editor for ILLUMINATION, ILLUMINATION-Curated, and Technology Hits. She also enjoys reading, photography, and power walking while listening to upbeat music. Her goal is to help as many homeless people as possible and campaign for Universal Basic Income at every opportunity.