At my local library (a place with many thousands of books), no one around me is looking at a book.

They’re all looking at laptops and phones. I am reading a novel on my Kindle.

It’s a strange irony.

One of countless reminders that the world has changed so radically in my lifetime.

So many things that once had physical form, so many things that once required human interaction, have become nothing more than experiences of data.

Music, news, money, toll collection, bill payments, getting directions, shopping, photographs, films, games, conversations, church services, business meetings … even dating.

It feels weird. Like a gradual erasure of three dimensional reality.

“Hey Siri, what is the endgame in a world where human contact is becoming obsolete?”

——————

ChatGPT: “Without meaningful physical or emotional human interaction, we risk losing core aspects of empathy, compassion, and emotional intelligence. This could lead to widespread alienation, narcissism, and social decay.” (Said the ROBOT!)

“Nothing is real.” — The Beatles

“Welcome to the machine.” — Pink Floyd

“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” — Albert Einstein.