My smart phone cracks me up sometimes when I use the “speech to text” feature. Message intended would definitely not be “message received” were I not to employ some careful editing before hitting the “send’ function.
>We say one thing, but our technology hears another. In the end, the imperfection of this feature means it’s still better to type the text when you’re not driving a vehicle, riding a bike or walking down the sidewalk.
As of yet, we cannot refine a machine to the point of consistent “active listening.” We cannot even perfect ourselves to exhibit this behavior on a regular basis. In fact, we use our technology to “tell” as much content as possible into the spheres, while missing out on a lot of what’s being told to us by people we care about.
Technology isn’t gifted with consciousness, notwithstanding Johnny Depp’s uploaded brain in a recent film. Human beings are endowed in this manner, however, and we’re enriched to the extent that we truly listen to one another. Look at the major chunks of what discourages and divides us, and at the root is a failure to truly hear others and respond in kind.
