Do Machines Make Us Less Human?

"Machines are dehumanizing."  This is an often quoted phrase referring to the fact that machines are being used to replace human labor.  The implication is that when machines do things that humans could be doing, it makes people less human.  This is part of a claim that machines make humans less valuable.  So, do machines really make us less human?

The first thing to keep in mind is that people make and use machines.  When a machine takes over the work of several people, it is because some human somewhere decided it should.  From the perspective of the worker, the machine is replacing them.  From the other side, however, the machine is an extension of the boss, who is now able to do more work with fewer workers.  If a machine makes some workers less human, it makes the boss more human.  This is a zero sum game.  Looking at it this way, the most anyone could say is maybe that the machine is taking humanity from the workers and giving it to the boss.

The second thing, which is the most important thing, in my opinion, is that this entire idea is based on a flawed definition of humanity.  If the most important thing in a person's life is that they are working a job, then yes, a machine that does that person's work could be said to reduce that person's humanity.  The definition of "human" has nothing to do with work though.  The fact is that when a machine takes over the work of a human, the human does not magically become less human, nor does the machine suddenly become more human (the machine is already partially human in the sense that it was created by a human mind).  A human without a job is just as human as a human with a job.  A homeless man is no less human than a CEO.  This idea that machines are dehumanizing is built on the false idea that everyone should have to work for a living.  It is based on the concept that a person's employment defines their value as a person, and this claim that "machines are dehumanizing" perpetuates the idea that fairness dictates that every person should have to work for their living or starve to death.  In other words, it is based on a lie.

Here is the truth about machines: Machines are an extension of human creativity and the human will.  The machine that replaced 100 workers is an extension of the will of some boss somewhere.  That cell phone that allows you to call anyone from nearly anywhere is an extension of your will.  A car that allows you to easily and quickly travel long distances is another extension of your will.  Machines empower humans.  An essential part of human nature is adaptation.  Machines help us to adapt and they often make us more adaptable.  Machines amplify human ability and will.  In other words, machines actually make people more human.  Machines are an extension of human creativity.  There are very few species on Earth that even use tools.  Humanity is the only one that builds automated tools.

Machines are even more than this though.  Humans create machines as an alternative route to evolution.  Evolution's exclusive goal is survival.  Evolution does not ask us what we want.  It gives us what makes us more likely to survive, or it kills us off to make way for someone more fit.  If evolution had its say, a vast majority of living humans would be dead, because most of us have deficiencies that would make it difficult or impossible to survive without human innovation.  Machines, however, give us another route to improvement.  The difference is that with machines, we can become what we want to become, instead of what nature thinks will work best.  Side-by-side, these two tracks of progression give humans a major advantage over any other form of live found on Earth.  If we don't embrace machines, then we are dehumanizing ourselves.  Without machines, humans are just another species of animal that happens to be smarter than others.  With machines though, humans are a higher form of life.

It is still important to realize that this does not mean we do not have to use machines responsibly.  If we don't curb our desires and do things in the right order, we could paint ourselves into a corner.  For example, if we strip mine all valuable materials out of the Earth before we have someplace else to go and the means to relocate, we will destroy ourselves.  Nuclear war is another example that we hovered on the brink of for almost half a century.  If we are wise though, we can create machines that will add so much to our humanity that we can become super humans!  (In fact, I would argue that we are already at some stage of super humanity right now, and we are continuing to progress at a rapid rate.)

Machines are not dehumanizing.  Machines are the pivotal factor in our humanity, and without machines, we are mere animals.  Machines increase our humanity.  If they are causing us problems, it is not because the machines or our reliance on machines make us less human.  It is because we are choosing to hold on to ideals that are holding us back.  If we let go of these dehumanizing ideals and embrace machines, we can be far more human than humanity has ever been.