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Technology Change is Slower Than We Think
If the tech industry hype is to be believed, along with the pundits and prognosticators of the technorati, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has already changed how we work. Quantum computing is ready to burst forth and change everything AI changed, but even faster. Except none of this is true. This is, in the end, a good thing.
Significant, societal level macro change as a result of technologies, especially revolutionary ones, is slower than we tend to think.It’s also rather messy, unpredictable and a drawn out process of the technology changing society and culture, then culture changing the technology.
For the overwhelming majority of society, they have little understanding of what Artificial Intelligence is. Many assume it is a singular technology and don’t particularly care that it is a suite of technologies in a toolbox. The majority of smartphone users barely use the incredible amount of features on their device.
According to Zippia, around 15% of Americans still use basic feature phones. Thats around 51 million people. Larger than many countries. In developing nations, feature phones still dominate. Many corporations around the world still use database systems that are over 15 years old. Some older. Fax machines too, are still in use, with the latest estimate suggesting around 17 million in 2018.
