Humanise: Why Human-Centred Leadership is the Key to the 21st Century

CHAPTER 4 Shift 5: The convergence and crossover of ‘man' and machine

‘I'll be back.'

THE TERMINATOR (T-800 MODEL 101)

The last shift I want to examine is the convergence and crossover of ‘man' and machine. I fear this shift is largely unseen, yet like the forest hidden in the trees it is there for all to see. You just need to look through a human lens, rather than an economic or technology lens.

This observation draws together two trends that, when combined, signify a game-changing shift. These trends are:

• the ‘humanisation' of machines as a result of advances in artificial intelligence, from computational computing, to cognitional computing, to conscious computers
• the ‘mechanisation' of humanity as a result of the evolution of Homo economicus, from the ‘rational person who pursues wealth for their own self-interest'¹ to the view of people as units of economic production and the correlative slogan ‘people are our greatest asset'. This could also be defined as the ‘dehumanisation' of humanity.

Navigating this chapter

This last shift is a reflection on the rapid advances in artificial intelligence and the imminent arrival of conscious computing accompanied by an increasing tendency to view people as a means to an end, rather than as individuals. I refer to this as the ‘humanisation' of machines and the ‘mechanisation' of humanity and suggest that we are about to witness a crossover where one could dominate the other.

We are approaching the point where the (falling) trajectory ...