Is Efficiency the End of Our Humanity?

Is Efficiency the End of Our Humanity??

As I was getting settled into work this morning, I saw a post in my feed showing a poorly conceived ad initially believed to be created by ChatGPT. The ad focused on a minority group and completely missed the mark. The image was all wrong and cliche. The copy offered no real insight and came off as inauthentic and tone-deaf.?

And while I am still not sure if this atrocious ad was a bot or human-created ad, I began to wonder (at the risk of sounding like a total Luddite), at what cost (or should I say cost-savings) are we willing to sacrifice efficiency for humanity??

As a digital creative and marketer, I've always been fascinated with the potential of creativity and technology–however, I've felt a shift in the last ten years–it has become less about what humans can do?with?technology and more about what technology can?do?for humans.?

When it comes to automation and bots?in the space of creativity and creating connections, it's not just about the lack of humans doing the work; it's about the lack of?humanity?inside the work.?

Whether bot-created content or fast fashion created inhumanely, there is a threat of soullessness creeping into our work, lives, and legacy.?

Bots and technology aside, consider us and how we now live our lives–ever-searching to be more and more productive–spending more time?doing?rather than?being.?

Another way efficiency puts a stopper on our humanity is our lack of willingness to go outside our comfort zone when diversifying our connections and relationships.?So we look for friends, coworkers, and lovers who allow us to take several learning and societal shortcuts by?not?making connections that require us to do the hard work of learning new perspectives.?

If you're a business, listen up. Your utter reliance on efficiency impacts your ability to reach new audiences, grow recruitment pipelines,?and decrease?retention (when you place your process and profits over people). It hits your DEI efforts hard.

If you are not investing?time, energy, and money in supporting diverse individuals and communities-–you will always find yourself and your work lacking.?

There's a place for efficiency but never forget that humanity should always be at the forefront.?