Is Your Technology…Calm?

At a marketing conference in May, I had the opportunity to interview “cyborg anthropologist,” Amber Case (Amber is actually a Fellow at Harvard University and a visiting researcher at MIT).

She is also an advocate of a branch of research known as “Calm Technology.” In essence, this concept focuses on eliminating an over-reliance on technology while increasing the “human-factor” in any complex system (whether that’s an AI or a marketing campaign, for example). It was incredible to hear someone with peerless tech credentials talking about the possibility of being enslaved by technology—or at least being ill-served by it—unless it is augmented with the “human touch.”

Calm Technology acknowledges that technology is not an end-goal in itself. And as it primary proponent, Case is courageous enough to admit that she doesn’t have all the answers. But she is willing to put her money where her mouth is, so to speak, and offer an alternative that’s so crazy, it just might work!

Be courageous. Tell true stories* (*You can hear the entire podcast interview with Amber Case on Renegade Thinkers Unite).