Is automation a solution to increase well-being?
Automation is when something is done for us. So, the robot vacuums the house, it cleans the clothes, it does my shopping, it walks the dog. Automation is frequently the kind of future we were promised in The Jetsons: put your feet up, the robot is here to solve all your problems.
Automation has its place, but there are some situations where an automatic solution isn’t the healthy choice. Do we want something done for us, or do we want to be better able to do it ourselves? If we are using robots to assist with relationship building, self-improvement, and self-reflection, I question whether an automatic solution is possible or effective. For something like this, I would prefer to move towards augmentation: devices that don’t do things for us, but rather give us tools to do our jobs better.
How is designing human-centered technology very similar to healthcare?
I spent a lot of time in medical school thinking about the doctor-patient relationship, and the inherent power dynamics there. As soon as you put on the white coat, people start to trust your opinion. Which is fine, except that generally they trust you more, and trust themselves less. A big part of the doctors’ work is to a relationship where the patient feels comfortable telling you what it is that they want, what it is that they think is wrong, advocating for themselves and working with you to find a solution.
I think this kind of power dynamic carries over into technology. There’s a lot of ways in which it is similar.