Taking the Human out of the Loop, or Give My Regards to Captain Dunsail (by gins, 23 Apr 14)

Taking the Human out of the Loop, or Give My Regards to Captain Dunsail (by gins, 23 Apr 14)

Almost every week we read of another disaster, and all too often, the cause is not mechanical, but human - a cruise ship off Italy, a jet over the Indian Ocean, and more recently, a ferry off the coast of Korea.   Closer to home, and covered only by the local papers, are the ones that impact our local communities - a highway fatality, or an amber alert.   As a society, we run a fine balance between autonomy and control, between the value of a human life and the power of technology to protect it.   But what if we’ve now reached an inflection point, where the machine, and by extension, the Internet of Things, is now ready to become our protector?  Where we now have the ability to secure our skies, our waters, and even our highways and schools.  Sure, there are times when the machines fail, but this is more the exception, and the odds that the human may fail in judgment are in fact far greater.

The technologies are available today – just look at Google’s autonomous vehicles and the states that have embraced them, jets that can land on their own and the transition of global navigation to GPS, and sensors that can track people and objects based on Bluetooth Low Energy, ensuring that your loved ones have arrived safely at school.  In fact, I’m taking delivery shortly of a BMW i3 that includes something called Active Driving Assistant and Active Cruise Control, as well as other under-the-hood Teutonic magic.  On my way into work, it will vibrate if I’ve left a lane, brake I’m too close to the car in front of me (even if distracted), and even warn me if a pedestrian crosses my path.   Not quite Google, but a heck of a lot cheaper!

BMW Active Driving Assistant

Bluetooth 4.0 Low Energy - Internet of Things

Google

BMW i3

Are we giving up that much by turning over control to something that doesn’t get tired, stress-out over the kids, get overly emotional, and can react in a millisecond?   Throughout history, humans have embraced technology – fire, plumbing, steam, electricity, and modern medicine.   Isn’t this just the next logical step?   We’re not talking about a world of Skynet, ARIAA, and the M-5, but if you ask anyone who has experienced some form of calamity firsthand, I’m sure you’d get no pushback.

M-5