Post Digital Thinking - Richard Tinto
Science Fiction, or Science Reality?
Technology has completely transformed our world over the last 30 years in countless ways and continues to play an ever-greater role in our daily lives. But where does it all end?
Studies have suggested that, on average, we touch our phones 2,617 times a day—that’s insane! And those are last year’s statistics; imagine what they could look like in another decade.
At lunch today, we were discussing my favourite Christmas present: Homo Deus by Noah Harari. The book poses a stark and unsettling look at how technology is changing humanity and the world we live in at an alarming rate. Following on from his prequel Homo Sapiens, Harari frankly discusses how every aspect of our lives are being driven and dictated by technology, and how it has come to shape the interconnected global culture in which we live. Perhaps most interestingly, he poses speculations on the increasing role technology may play in our not-so-distant future; how we could harness technology to influence our brain function and potentially create the rise of a highly-evolved super-human, or human-god.
Where Does it all End?
That is very much up to us… Or is it? As a collective, we should be able to call a halt to the march of technology, but what if the algorithms we create outsmart us and we accidentally create an uncontrollable and dangerous future in which we are ruled by the very technology we created? We’ve all seen I, Robot, but what if this sci-fi movie poses a very startling, dystopian reality?
Scary Stuff—But an Opportunity
Being an eternal optimist, I’m a firm believer that out of every crisis there comes an opportunity.
There is some terminology I have heard recently that I’ve clung onto, in particular the term Post Digital. I Love it! It is essentially a paradigm for present-day life following the rise of digital technology. To me, it symbolises a world where we humans kick back and submit to the swift and ever-evolving process of being completely over-ridden and controlled by technology.
Instead of surrendering blindly to the digital, let’s focus instead on what technology can’t do: the coffee with your best friend; the friendly hand shake; the meaningful human eye contact, and how the experiences we have as humans are something that can’t be generated by some clever algorithm—not yet, anyway.
Where Worlds Collide
We will be able to do very little about the pace at which the world changes; we are unable to stop the cogs from turning, but we can still enjoy those uniquely human moments. What technology can do is allow us to enjoy more experiences through the convenience and efficiency it brings: organising get-togethers, inviting friends and forever capturing those moments through videos and photographs. Sharing memories has never been easier!
The future may be uncertain, but let’s keep moving forward through this post digital age, and remember that as humans, we have unique abilities that technology can enhance without ever replacing the emotive and intangible ability to feel.
So what has this got to do with Us?
Everything: here at Tinto, we are masters of creating experiences through the buildings we design with humans, for humans. We use technology and the possibilities it brings to create a convenient, efficient and enjoyable experience for our customers—pretty cool, isn’t it?
We are focused on using technology to continually improve those experiences we design. That’s why we are creating a new app for architecture, which walks people through the complicated process of designing a building, from start to finish. We’d love to talk to people from all walks of life to make this possible, as we believe collaboration creates the best results.
Over to You
What are your thoughts on the Post Digital? How do you think technology could influence the future of architecture? Let us know by getting in touch on social media!
