On Being Critical of Agendas Underlying Technology

Greenfield wants us to be more conscious and critical of the underlying interests and politics that drive technological developments.

We need to furnish ourselves with a deeper account of institutional processes by way of which technology is actually produced in our world, or the powerful entrenched interests that are dedicated to preventing any such thing as a post-scarcity commons from taking root. It is only by understanding these factors from the outset, and learning to anticipate their influence, that our designs might have any chance of being able to counter them. (pp.312-313)

He is concerned at how the narrative of technological innovation often takes on the guise of “neutrality” and “objectivity” when there are always identifiable actors behind any technological change who are advancing specific worldviews, whether consciously or not.

For example, virtual assistants associated with the smart home offer convenience and immediacy, but obscure the logic of their recommendations which makes it difficult to interrogate the commercial interests involved.

The main problem with the virtual assistant is that it fosters an approach to the world that is literally thoughtless, leaving users disinclined to sit out any particular prolonged frustration of desire, and ever less critical about the processes that result in the satisfaction of their needs and wants. (p.41)

Or when it comes to the increasing use of algorithms to govern everything from the distribution of civic resources to the evaluation and categorization of individuals, the opaqueness of these algorithms often serves specific political goals.

Quite simply, some parties derive advantage from the fact that we don't understand the tools used to rank and order us. And this results in a pronounced and troubling asymmetry in the world, when the actors in a position to determine our lives know far more about us than we know, or will ever be able to find out, about them. (pp.244-245)

When considering any proposal of technology, Greenfield feels it’s vital that we examine what is being promoted, what is being given up, and who benefits most.