Many commentators and journalists have mentioned the rise of artificial intelligence as a key trend to note. Some of that commentary implies the new technology has arrived out of the blue, without precedent and with the appearance of what may be a worrying degree of agency beyond the bounds of human control. In reality, however, many of the applications currently flooding offices and personal devices have roots in older technologies. Moreover, the human beings who comprise a primary audience for these applications have long histories as well.
To understand the potential for artificial intelligence to transform aspects of our immediate future, we need to understand how people interact with communication technologies. Professor Roshni Raveendhran has been investigating the ways in which people build relationships with and through technologies at the University of Virginia and we had the chance to discuss her work on a recent episode.
The everyday life we explore on our show is multifaceted and complex, as people around the world face an array of circumstances which vary from place to place and across time. There are threads of the human experience which tie together these different circumstances, however, as we continue to be sense-making, emotional beings with goals and aspirations and frustrations no matter the latest technology to emerge.
The Measure of Everyday Life 