In this article, Carr focuses on the negative impact of over-reliance on automation on our lives. At the beginning of the article, the examples of two plane crashes shows that over-reliance on automation weakens the pilot’s expertise and slows their response. Then, the author begins to argue that automation can invisibly change our behavior or way of thinking, leading to complacency and bias, weakening our professional skills, understanding and the ability to acquire knowledge. In addition, the author believes that computers are not perfect, and often small errors can lead to devastating consequences. At the end of the article, the author calls on us to integrate into the world, so that we can deepen our understanding of the world and become more fully part of the world.
The over-automation of Carr’s discussion is worthy of our reflection. Computers are taking over the knowledge work that has long been considered to be well-educated and well-trained professionals: pilots have to rely on computers to fly; doctors ask them for diagnostic conclusions; architects use them to design buildings. This wave of automation has swept the world.
But Carr believes that relying on automation to make people dumb remains an open question. Automation actually provides a excellent reference for human beings. Automation itself is not wrong, and the vital matter is that how we humans use it. In fact, the role of automation as the judge of the operator is more efficient than using only human judgment, and more accurate than merely using machine calculations.
We should not abandon our reliance on automation, but think about how to make automation work better for us. For example, adaptive automation can be used, using advanced sensors and interpretation algorithms to monitor a person’s physical and mental state, and then using this information to achieve the transfer of tasks and responsibilities between people and computers. Once the system senses that the operator is struggling with a difficult task, more tasks are assigned to the computer, allowing the operator to avoid distractions. And when the system feels that the operator’s interest is diminishing, the system increases the workload of the person to increase their attention and develop their skills.
In summary, automation can bring great benefits to our lives, and at the same time, we also need to hone our professional skills while enjoying the convenience and efficiency of automation. Rather than blaming automation for human’s complacence and bias, we should wisely utilize it. After all, it is our human beings, who are different from computers, that have a choice.
