Ideas worth
arguing about.
Provocations, essays, conversations and research on technology, people, organisations and society.
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Efficiency Is a Value. It Isn’t the Only Value.
Technology allows us to do more with less. But if efficiency becomes the measure of everything, we risk losing sight of what we are trying to achieve. Efficiency is one of the most persuasive arguments for technological progress. When a new technology allows us to accomplish something faster, more accurately or with fewer resources, we…
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The Average Human Doesn’t Exist
We design products, services and technologies for people. But which people are we actually designing for? Imagine that you are designing a door for the average person. You begin by calculating the average height, reach and physical strength of the people who are expected to use it. Based on these measurements, you determine the position…
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Not Everything That Can Be Automated Should Be Automated
The question is no longer just what technology can do for us. It is what we want technology to make possible. We have become remarkably good at asking what technology can do. Artificial intelligence can write reports, analyse information, answer questions and support decisions that previously required considerable human effort. Algorithms can process enormous amounts…