Why it’s time to retire the term “user”

People have been called “users” for a long time; it’s a practical shorthand enforced by executives, founders, operators, engineers, and investors ad infinitum. But now in the era of AI and humans working alongside machines, is the term still relevant? In this edition of What’s Next in Tech, decide whether it’s time to retire the word “user” entirely.

TODAY: 2024 is a massive year for elections across the world. How will the rise of AI change politics? Join MIT Technology Review editors at 1 p.m. ET on LinkedIn Live as they explore the impact of political influencers and deepfakes and unpack industry insights and predictions. Register for free!

The proliferation of AI means we need a new word to replace “user.”

Often, “user” is the right word to describe people who use software: a user is more than just a customer or a consumer. But it's also unspecific enough to refer to just about everyone. "User" can accommodate almost any big idea or long-term vision. We use—and are used by—computers and platforms and companies.?

The original use of “user” can be traced back to the mainframe computer days of the 1950s. Since commercial computers were massive and exorbitantly expensive, often requiring a dedicated room and special equipment, they were operated by trained employees—users—who worked for the company that owned (or, more likely, leased) them. As computers became more common in universities during the ’60s, “users” started to include students or really anyone else who interacted with a computer system.?

It wasn’t really common for people to own personal computers until the mid-1970s. But when they did, the term “computer owner” never really took off.

Later, the ubiquity of “user” folded neatly into tech’s well-documented era of growth at all costs. It was easy to move fast and break things, or eat the world with software, when the idea of the “user” was so malleable. “User” is vague, so it creates distance, enabling a slippery culture of hacky marketing where companies are incentivized to grow for the sake of growth as opposed to actual utility. “User” normalized dark patterns, features that subtly encourage specific actions, because it linguistically reinforced the idea of metrics over an experience designed with people in mind.?

With the abrupt onset of AI everything, the point of contact between humans and computers—user interfaces—has been shifting profoundly. What were once called AI bots have been assigned lofty titles like “copilot” and “assistant” and “collaborator” to convey a sense of partnership instead of a sense of automation. Anthropomorphism has long been used to manufacture a sense of connectedness between people and technology. We—people—remained users. But if AI is now a thought partner, then what are we???

Though “user” seems to describe a relationship that is deeply transactional, many of today’s technological relationships in which a person would be considered a user are actually quite personal. That being the case, is the word still relevant? Read the story.

Be prepared for the impact AI will have on our world with our weekly newsletter, The Algorithm. Sign up today for in-depth stories and exclusive AI insights.?

Get ahead with these related stories:

1. The great AI consciousness conundrum — Philosophers, cognitive scientists, and engineers are grappling with what it would take for AI to become conscious.
2. We used to get excited about technology. What happened? — Innovation that truly serves us all is in scarce supply. That’s a problem.
3. Everything dies, including information—Everything dies: people, machines, civilizations. And even in the golden age of digitization, knowledge dies, too.

Image: Tom Humberstone