Following criticism that my previous post was "a clear cop-out" and "not at all relevant to media, as this blog is supposed to be" - most of that criticism coming from the writer herself, but still - I have decided to write a proper, media-centric post this week as an apology. This post will be a review of a book I recently read, Technology vs. Humanity: The Coming Clash Between Man and Machine by Gerd Leonhard.
I bought this book about a month or so ago and only finished it around last week, but I'd been interested in reading it for several years before that. As you can probably tell from the title, Technology vs. Humanity focuses on current and future conflicts between humans and machines, a topic which has long been of interest to me. Leonhard's book tackles this subject in quite a broad fashion, giving general overviews of recent technological progress and suggestions regarding what these advancements could lead to in the future. The author also stresses the philosophical aspect of the issue, discussing the need for ethical guidelines in the development of technology. Leonhard frequently breaks these down into lists, such as "seven existential questions to ask" and "nine suggested principles", which are less doctrinal than they are aimed at promoting conversation around technological ethics.
For better and worse, Technology vs. Humanity is quite a basic book. Aimed at the general tech-using population rather than experts in the field, it provides a broad overview of relevant topics from technological "megashifts" to digital obesity. In some ways this works to the book's advantage, making it relatively accessible and a good jumping-off point for larger discussions, but a little extra depth (perhaps in the form of more detailed analysis or specific examples) could have taken the book from general to comprehensive. One also doesn't have to read very far into the book before they get the sense that it's moving in a somewhat circular direction, repeating the same points without really building its argument. I feel like you could read any one chapter of the book in isolation and come away with an accurate sense of Leonhard's perspective, without the need to read the rest of it.
Speaking of Leonhard, I did find the self-promotion in the book to be a little jarring. A passage about his concept of HellVen (hell/heaven) is interrupted with "#hellven", seemingly encouraging readers to tweet or otherwise post on social media with this Leonhard-affiliated hashtag. In a section about the need for a global council on technological ethics, the author adds "This writer is happy to chime in!". Even the very end of the book calls the reader to "join the discussion" at two of Leonhard's websites. While I understand the need to promote one's self in today's digital landscape, it felt at times like the author was taking a huge, world-shifting issue and using it for his own career promotion. This sounds a bit harsh, and I'm sure that Leonhard didn't intend it this way, but the effect remains.
While I take minor issue with the way Leonhard presents his perspective (the shallowness of the book, his self-promotion), I would like to say that I do agree with his points. He is clearly someone who has devoted a lot of thought and a deal of research to this issue, and I believe he is genuinely concerned for the implications of this so-called "coming clash between man and machine". I appreciated that he is not afraid to call out the role of capitalism in potential runaway technology, emphasising that the producers of such technology will naturally prioritise profit over ethics. I certainly also support his argument that we need to put in place ethical restrictions, and perhaps in some cases even barriers, to prevent technology from advancing in such a way that it hurts rather than helps humans. We must be sure not to, as Leonhard put it, "pursue efficiency over humanity".
Overall, I would say that Technology vs. Humanity does what it sets out to do, in that it manages to "highlight the challenges, start the debate, and provoke a spirited response" with regard to an issue that is in urgent need of attention. It provides a good introduction to the ethical problems of technological advancement and definitely works as a starting-point for deeper and more detailed discussion. I would recommend this book to those who, like me, don't have a great deal of technological knowledge but are still concerned about (or at least interested in) the impact of technology on the future of humanity.
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