Astra Taylor, The Automation Charade
The concept of fauxtomation discussed in the first and second paragraphs sheds light on the deceptive nature of automation. It brings to mind the famous Mechanical Turk, an eighteenth-century contraption that appeared to play chess but actually had a person operating it. Surprisingly, similar deceptive practices continue to exist today, as seen in Amazon's crowdsourcing service called Amazon Mechanical Turk. Through this platform, tasks are performed by a distributed workforce for minimal compensation, creating an illusion of automation while exploiting workers.
Another interesting example of fauxtomation can be found in Thomas Jefferson's use of dumbwaiters at his estate, Monticello. These clever devices, which transported food and wine to the dining room, not only impressed visitors but also concealed the reality of slavery. The labor of enslaved individuals was conveniently hidden, giving the impression that the abundance of food and efficient service were products of automation rather than human toil.
However, in my personal opinion, automation is not necessarily a bad thing, even though the emergence of technologies like ChatGPT and Midjourney may directly impact my future career field. The rise and fall of professions have always been part of the natural order, and in order to adapt to such developments, humans must embrace change. This does not mean that humans are succumbing to becoming automated machines or that automation governs our lives. Instead, it signifies our ability to adapt to a necessary stage in human progress.