Usually when an individuals speaks off connectivity, it all relates back to a communication device such as phones, computers, GPS and etc. However, in connectivity not only these particular devices are involved, but any other things one could find laying around the house or in college, even one's work place. An example would be such as the car alarm key, shoes, gloves, shirts, and etc which could relate to us in a way that it will affect us in a particular way. For example, some shoes today has the ability to measure one's heart rate and give the user a result whether or not that particular person is overweight or underweight and gives advice in having to achieve the perfect body shape which anyone could ask for through exercising. However, there are already such product in the market and is definitely scary to have objects such as shoes, gloves which usually one just wear them for comfort, able to talk to the user. It's as though the object is particularly talking to you.
In fact another, point to relate back to object talking to us are us talking to objects. With the emergence of Twitter and blogs, who are these people actually talking to whenever they post something up upon into the internet. Looking into the case of Twitter, one usually updates on their inner thoughts and post it up upon their own Twitter's profile home page but there actually no one in the other side behind the wall, who is actually listening to this particular person's Tweets. Thus, this comes in on a weird scenario between human and communications with the Internet. Even looking at blogs, people are actually just posting stuff upon the internet as though these people are talking to the internet as though it understands the user very much and treat it as a place to release their emotion.
Looking also at the latest technology implemented by Apple for the IPhone 4S which allows the voice recognition technology that allows users to talk to the Phone to input their message to send to other people. This already is as though asking a person to type out the letter or note for the user. These is in relation to the readings of Julian Bleecker writings, that mentions on the theory of Blogjects that people are communicating or talking with objects but not the usual humans anymore, which includes me as I'm typing this particular blog post. It's alright to talk to these objects and share one inner thoughts with these objects as an emotional release as sometimes no one really will appreciate and spend the time to listen to one's complains or thoughts as most people rather focus on their own issues rather than others.
The problem arises when these objects which we are communicating with, one day decides to stop working with us and starts a rebel as in future these objects may have their own A.I (Artificial Intelligence). The world where a scenario is similar to the movie of Terminator that objects start to rebel against the human race as the objects believe that they are more superior and better. This will definitely be an issue, which could be worrying that may upset the balance between mankind. However, is definitely will be interesting being able to communicate with any of your own objects and not having the issue of these objects controlling or taking control over the master. Ever realize sometimes when you use your own item or equipment you feel more comfortable and have a more efficient usage of the object for example, having to type on your own laptop is much more faster as compared to typing on a friend's laptop which you are not familiarize with, what does this actually mean? Is it because in a way we have understood the object as we have already been using and communicating with it for a long time? or is it because we have understand the object inner feelings such as it has a soul...
Writings are based on the readings of Julian Bleecker "A Manifesto for Networked Objects — Cohabiting with Pigeons, Arphids and Aibos in the Internet of Things".
Hi Kok Han!
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad that you highlighted the fact that individuals connected to Facebook & Twitter is in fact, a way of us communicating with the Internet. I would point this fact to another platform of communication - blogs. In some cases, the way people write on blogs are similar to the way they converse with others. In short, the communication with blogs are somehow like a conversation with a friend - a really close one indeed - just that this 'friend' is a non-living friend. So we are actually 'talking' to the Internet.
With the idea of having objects to talk to us, could we understand this concept in a different way? In saying that objects actually have emotions & feelings and by implying means of communicating - languages - in these objects, are we saying that languages & voices are the best way for us to communicate with each other?
For me, implanting emotions into objects is a huge risk and a risk which we need to handle with care. No doubt that we will be able to achieve greater efficiency with these objects understanding us better by communicating with us, but no matter how, there must be a line that we must not cross. We definitely do not want humanity to be tainted and certainly, we also never want objects to dominate our lives. Thus, in my opinion, we must retain our grounds and have a certain control over these objects once they become more intelligent. We had watched movies seeing the way robots and technologies revolution occurs. We certainly do not want these to occur in the near future.
Plus, I would also like to add that with emotions embedded in these objects, there is a possibility that humans might become too attached to objects instead of other individuals. This is definitely a huge risk to humanity. Thus, to sum up, I personally think that there must be a line to be drawn between the injection of feelings into objects and their relationship with the humans.
Hey Su Wern! I totally agree on your point of having to ensure there is a border line between the mankind and objects as it could really endanger one self in many ways if one is too emotionally attached to their object.
ReplyDeleteHi Kok Han
ReplyDeleteNice post, good example you have.
I don't really believe that voice recognition can work, as everyone have different slang based on our culture. Somehow the noise might cause the message transfer wrongly, this function doesn't work in a noisy environment, as long the machine can differentiate the human voice and the environment noise. But i think it's still need a long time to discovery it.
When we use voice to control everything, we will become commanding, people will become lazy, can you imaging they can control by their mouth, they will getting lazy to move their body, don't even to move their finger to type an message.
Hey Kok Han
ReplyDeleteGot some really great points in your post here. And i have to say that we are moving from one technology to another, from buttons, to touch screen, and now even voice recognition, technology never cease to amaze us, 20yrs ago this would all be stuff of science fiction but not anymore and is all becoming real. I won't be surprise in the near future we are only required to use our quantum brainwaves to communicate with objects.
However, the rebellion of technology? maybe a little far fetch but the worst case scenario would be when technology fail us. My concern is that people would be relying too much on technology that they can easily forget who created these technology in the first place and how was life way before cut edge technology. There is a possibility people will forget their roots, of being human.
Vanakam Kok Han,
ReplyDeleteGosh it so scary to even visualize what will happen one day if the technology decides to stop working with us and starts a rebel as in future these objects may have their own. We be doomed and it will be a big issue. I strongly agree with you that we are more comfy with out own device because we know in and out. for example I be more happier and comfortable to use my lap top to do my work rather than using my friends lappy. It will give me a feeling as if i am a stranger to that device. I personally feel that objects should be objects and we should be emotionally attach to it for any reason. People do not have alleged personal life if people always connect to Internet. There be no more quality time with family or sense of touch.