Imagine. Press a button and the door opens.
Get in and your car says; “Where to?”
It steers itself, follows the quickest and safest route and gets you there in comfort.
The computers that control it speak their own language. Incomprehensible to us mortals. They think independently, based on algorithms and do precisely what you want them to.
Ahh, computers. When did they cease to be our servants and become our masters. I am reminded of the adage; NOTHING IS SO SIMPLE THAT GREAT MINDS CANNOT COMPLICATE IT THE POINT OF INCOMPREHENSIBLILITY.
That, in a nutshell, is my laptop. I’m not a geek, but have used computers for many years. My first one, bought in 1992, had a 20-meg HD, a floppy disc and 400 megs RAM. Once I learned to programme in GW Basic, it did exactly what I wanted, far quicker than my calculator or type writer. Those were the days.
Now, I press the button and wait for the circle to stop turning. ‘Updating, do not switch off.’ ‘ Please wait while we configure updates.’ ‘ This may take a moment.’ And I wait. For what? Is it sending a secret encrypted message to the server? Who knows. I’ll get the bill later. It is thinking and calculating ways to complicate my life. It is scheming. And you know what, I can’t stop it or change its mind. It operates exactly as it is programmed to. Not how I want it. Oh no, that would never work.
It feeds rapaciously on cyber meals. DATA. Vast servings that the IT conspiracy has determined will make them a fortune. The sad part is that these things control my life. The day will come when I press the button and it says; “Where to Marti?” and I smile, knowing that it will go where it likes, not to where I want to be. It knows better.