Essay Collection Fragments of Humanity: Dissection, Reflections & Outsourcing of Our Human Functions
A collection of ten contemplative essays that reflect upon our human existence and our interactions with the world around us:
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The Human Costs of Outsourcing Human Functions to Technology: How Can Human Beings be Better Stewards of Technology
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Factual references will include: Corporate Technological Investment Expenditure Figure Comparatives for 1980/1990/2000/2010/2020
- In the body of this essay, I mention in my analysis why this situation has arisen which is due to the acceleration of investment in technology which has for the past couple of decades, greatly exceeded and outstripped the levels of investment in human development which could and will in the long-term lead to diminishing human capacity in terms of the intellectual abilities and development of our human species. One of the results of this is a significant increase in technological capacity and a correlating reduction in the replacement opportunities on offer to human beings to fulfil the human objectives of financial provision, purpose and belonging (as identified in Maslow's hierarchy of human needs) which results in a loss of employment and lack of suitable alternatives on offer to those who lose positions of employment. Additionally, there are no legal boundaries to govern how man and machine may work together in various industries in a manner that respects human individuality, creativity and capacity which creates tension, financial insecurity, human financial losses, mistrust and upset. Technology can be a great catalyst for positive change such as it can help humanity to find cures for diseases and it can be utilized to improve educational provisions and access but it also presents some drawbacks which could be detrimental in the longer term to our human species if left unregulated effectively, unbalanced and unchecked.
- Another major issue in this situation is that the pace of replacement employment alternatives is greatly reduced (e.g. check out cashiers) because human capacity is now being underdeveloped since more corporate resources are being allocated to technological development by corporations and vast sums of money. The results of this accelerated and increased investment in technology have ultimately created a shortfall of suitable employment alternatives for human beings, creating a depleting downward spiral and cycle that no longer respects the value of human inputs into human functions (e.g. many customers still like to see a check out person and wish to do so and appreciate the presence of a human face in the store.) Corporations as a result of cost savings, are prioritising the bottom-line profits and so, they are no longer investing as much or even up to the value of the human job losses into the human development of human beings and so this method of disinvestment in human capacity will not and cannot produce suitable forms of alternative employment or opportunities for human beings to generate economic income to create financial provisions in a timely manner. So, there must be some regulatory safeguards (an ethical safety framework) put in place to protect long term human capacity and interests before we suffer irreparable damage as a human species to our human capacity.
- Recommendations & Conclusion will include: Suggestions of the introduction of Corporate Measurement Reporting Measures like How Much Money Companies Spend on AI or Technological Investment (in a manner similar to ROCE ratio measures), Employee/AI Ratios etc. (This was written about and planned at least a month ago) Will contain a conclusive analysis of how human beings can be better stewards of technology for example corporations could add an employee value statement to their shareholder reports which measures and acknowledges how many human beings they employ as a percentage of profit like a human/profit ratio. Corporate analysis could also be performed on annual basis as to how much corporations spend/invest in technology and how much they spend on human employee development investment and this could be a performance indicator much like ROCE and/or a cap limit could be set that is regulated. This would allow shareholders to see the kind of companies that they are investing in, their corporate ethics (in original document a month ago) according to their levels of investment in human development and so forth because some investors may wish to invest their resources in companies that support the retention of human employment and the development of human capacity. Overall Suggestion is the introduction of an Ethical Corporate Measurement Reporting Framework (framework source: Horizons of Destiny) that includes an Employee Value Statement.
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Personal Life Investments, Social Relationships & the Transactional Exchange Costs of Emotional Currencies
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Factual References will include: Personal Individual Expenditure on Life Investment Comparatives 1980/1990/2000/2010/2020
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Outsourcing Our Social Relationships to Technology: Does the Social Application & Personalisation of Technology Provide a Solution to Human Loneliness and the Desire for Companionship or Does This Social Substitution Reduce Our Own Human Social Capacity and Skills?
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Factual References will include: references to the human needs of love and belonging as referred to in the Hierarchy of Needs Model by Abraham Maslow (1954)
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This essay collection will also have a collection of short stories in a novel to accompany it called 'Fragments of Humanity: Outsourcing of Our Human Functions.