A Look Into Nicholas Carr’s The Glass Cage
Ryan Stuckey
Technology, Society, and Social Change
The Ohio State University
What defines how people live their lives? If several people were asked, each one would probably give a different answer. Automation would not be the first answer somebody would give; most people would probably say family, their values, religion or even money. But as time rolls on, the effects of automation on our lives are becoming more and more pronounced. Automation has an ever-increasing role in our lives. The Glass Cage, a book written by Nicholas Carr, focuses on how the world is advancing in its automation, how this is affecting how we live our lives, and how this is changing the very nature of who we are as people.
The Glass Cage discusses different effects of automation in many parts of our lives. The wide variety of points that Carr hits on throughout the book keep the book very interesting all the way through. However, even though many points are covered, he still manages to cover each one thoroughly with an interesting perspective. The method Carr used to write the book keeps the reader interested throughout the entire work and makes me want to read on and look more into what he discusses in the book. The way in which the book is written keeps me captivated and the information he chose to include in it enlightens me and opens my eyes to what automation is doing to us and will continue to do to us unless something changes.
One of the topics that Carr covered that I found most interesting is how automation is taking away from our ability to do complex tasks and replacing them with simpler ones. In his book, Car says “We trade subtle, specialized talents for more routine, less distinctive ones” (p. 67). One example of this includes the Intuit hunter; for thousands of years, they relied on their senses and intelligence to find their way around their home island of Igloolik. Scientists found this remarkable, as there were no landmarks and the landscape was constantly changing. The Intuits looked for patterns in the stars, wind, and tides to precisely navigate the terrain. However, in the year 2000 when global positioning systems (GPS) became widely available to everyone, the Intuits utilized this new technology. Because they no longer needed their skills of navigation, these once strong talents deteriorated. They traded their “subtle, specialized talents for more routine, less distinctive ones” (p. 67). This is one of the points in to the book that I found most interesting and that made me realize how automation is taking away from our abilities as humans. But the effects of automation go far beyond taking away from our talents; it also affects our work.
Technology is affecting how we work and the work we do in many different ways. However, three of the biggest ways in which it affects it include making certain situations more dangerous, decreasing the individuality of creative works, and preventing us from learning certain skills. Each point affects the work done in subtle ways but with drastic effects.
The implementation of automation into normally human-controlled situations and the attempted removal of the human factor from these situations increases the likelihood of a dangerous or life-threatening situation occurring. The two main instances of this that Carr highlights are in aviation and smart automobiles. As each process gains more and more automation, it loses more and more human. The ultimate goal is to remove the human factor completely. But when the computer runs into a problem its coders did not account for, it does not know what to do and gives control to the human. He or she is suddenly expected to come into the situation and make the right decision within seconds. This is illogical and highly dangerous. This is comparable to sitting the bench for an entire soccer game. Eventually you convince yourself that you are not going to get put in; your mind drifts off the field and to other thoughts. Suddenly, at the eighty-fifth minute, with only five minutes left in the game, the coach puts you in. When you step foot onto that field, you are expected to perform and to play the game well. This seems to be an impossible feat, considering you have not been paying attention for the previous eighty-five minutes of the game. Both of these situations will more than likely not end with the desired outcome. However, the soccer game is not a life or death situation. In contrast though, the automated problem is; making the wrong decision could lead to your own death and the death of many other people.
Currently, airplanes run completely automatic except for a few instances. Cars are also making their way there, able to run without human interaction while in simple environments, such as on the highway. As more and more of the human factor is taken out, the situation becomes more and more dangerous. This has been proven in airplane accidents; a human cannot be mentally “asleep” for an extended period of time and then be expected to make logical decisions in a matter of minutes. In order to prevent pilot error, there must be less automation in the cockpit or driver’s seat. The key is figuring out where to draw the line between human control and automation. Some automation may be used, but there should be enough human interaction that the operator stays mentally in the zone. This is only one of the many way in which automation is affecting the workplace.
The implementation of computer aided design (CAD) into the workplace has allowed engineers to produce blueprints and drawings quicker and more accurate than ever. However, the creation of new designs, especially architectural structures, has become more standardized and less individualized. It takes away from the ability of the architectural engineer to fully express themselves and their creativity through their work. Designing new creations on the computer allows architects to copy and paste parts from previous designs (p. 147). It also automates entire processes, such as building walls. With the automation of entire processes, architects do not even consider designing each part individually, closing the door on a creative opportunity. And, because parts of previous builds are copied to new builds, buildings begin to have a standardized look; they are beginning to look like previously built structures. As the frequency of CAD used in architectural design increases, there are also unintended effects.
In chapter six, Carr refers to the architect as not only an engineer, but also an artist (p. 138). The architect must design a captivating structure, the part that requires artistic skill, that also follows the rules of physics, which is the part that requires an engineering background. However, CAD takes away from the ability to express themselves and removes the “artist” part of their jobs. Imagine if CAD systems became fully automatic, where all the user had to do was input a few specifications, such as building type, usage, and dimensions, and the computer designed the entire building. This would push thousands of people out of their jobs and cause architecture to become a lost and forgotten art. In order to efficiently design buildings while also letting creativity flow, there must be a perfect balance of automation and human input. Humans could design the structures by hand and get the idea of what they want to see. After that, they could input the design into CAD systems to refine and make a computer blueprint that could be used in the production and building of the structure. Finally, Carr discusses how the use of automated systems hinders the development of apprentices in their specific field.
With the increase of automation, many professions no longer need certain skills they needed before. These skills were many times subtle talents and instincts developed over time through observation and repetition. An example of this is the implementation of automated patient record systems in medical services. Doctors have learned what to watch for in patients by paying attention to them. With time and repetition, they have learned and developed subtle talents and instincts necessary for the proper care of the patient. They learned this by paying attention to the patient. But now, with the adoption of computer systems into hospitals, doctors no longer pay attention to only the patient. Because apprentice doctors are being trained with this new technology, they will not learn what to look for in a patient or develop the skills experienced doctors have that are not taught in school or textbooks (p. 105). They are only taught to look at the computer screen, which now acts as a wall between the patient and doctor.
How long until the doctor’s office is completely automated; until there is no doctor and only a computer? Even though this may seem like where automation is headed to, this point will never actually be reached. Automation may be able to replace every part of the doctor’s office except for one-and that is the human factor. The human factor is what comforts the patient and gives them optimism. The doctors and nurses encourage them to stay strong and is able to express emotions, such as empathy and sympathy, something a computer can never do. Replacing doctors would be detrimental to the health of the patients and it would ultimately lead to an increase in death due to illnesses and diseases. Once again there must be an equilibrium of automation and human met in order to fully utilize both parts as efficiently as possible.
The biggest impact of automation is how it is affecting what we know. Carr introduces this with his quote “While we’re wrestling with a challenge, we may be motivated by an anticipation of the ends of our labor, but, as Frost saw, it’s the work—the means—that makes us who we are” (p. 232) talks about how the work we do defines who we are. In theory, if automation takes over our work, and we no longer work, we become nothing. Just like the mower makes him who he is in Frost’s poem, the work we do makes us who we are; that is the point that Carr is trying to convey to the reader. The work we do individualizes us; it is the talents and abilities that make us unique. But as automation takes away our work, we lose the characteristics exclusive to us. Carr, in the final chapter, uses the works of Frost to prove his point and shows how even Frost knew that work makes us who we are (p. 223). The exact goal of automation is also its biggest problem. It is taking away our work, which takes away the abilities that make us who we are. The easier life promised by automation will not be a better life as it takes the purpose out of life; we have nothing to work for because the machines do it for us.
Think back to the question at the beginning. What really controls our life? Automation has more of an impact than originally seen. From our phones to our cars to the computers in our workplace, they all have a major influence in how we act and what we know. And the effects of automation are increasing every day. The onset of automation is inevitable; how we deal with it will determine how our lives and the world shape out to be. In order to change the tide and define how we live our own lives, we must find the perfect balance between automation and human.
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