Ah, technology – one of our greatest sources of pride in the modern era, but also, in many ways, the reason behind a significant amount of existential fear and concern over humanity and our future. It’s a conundrum for the ages, and its implicit contradictions are only getting increasingly ingrained in notions of innovation and technological advancement.
A question that’s been asked for many year, and is now becoming incredibly relevant once again, is whether or not we’re allowing technology to have too big a role in our lives. Of course, it’s incredible that we now have access to all these wonderful, advanced devices, programmes and more that can make everyday activities easier and more efficient – never mind the things they can do that were previously far beyond our wildest dreams – but is it going too far?
In a world where efficiency is king and convenience is a constant, technology has woven itself into nearly every aspect of our daily routines. From wearable devices that track our steps and sleep cycles, to AI tools that schedule our time and even suggest what we should eat next, the promise of a perfectly optimised life has never felt more attainable. But with every new app, algorithm or automated solution, we inch closer to a reality where spontaneity, intuition and human messiness are quietly being edited out.
This isn’t to say that innovation is inherently problematic – many technologies genuinely improve quality of life, save time and enhance wellbeing. Yet, at the same time, there’s a growing feeling of unease that’s slowly bubbling up below the surface, hinting at that perhaps we’re losing something essential.
When does helpful data become digital micromanagement? Are we outsourcing too many decisions to machines? And, is the pressure to be constantly productive pushing us further from a more balanced, present way of living?
We gathered a group of experts to ponder this question, ranging from social media managers and CEOs to psychotherapists and spiritual technologists. Here’s what they had to say.
Our Experts:
- Amy Kean: CEO and Founder of Good Shout
- Jaco Vermeulen: CTO at BML
- Derek Cockerton: Founder of Kingfisher Phoenix Ltd.
- Gerard Boon: Managing Director of Boon Brokers
- Olivia McMillan: COO at Iplicit
- Dr. Lisa Turner: Spiritual Technologist, Systems Engineer and Creator of CETfreedom
- Chelsea Hopkins: Social Media and PR Manager at Fasthosts
- Vivek Behl: VP Strategy, WalkMe
- Rob Keery: CMO, Anything is Possible
- Andre Baptista: Co-Founder of Ethical Hacking Platform Ethiack
- Keeley Crockett: IEEE Member and Professor of Computational Intelligence at Manchester Metropolitan University
- Eloise Skinner: Psychotherapist and Founder of The Purpose Workshop and One Typical Day
Amy Kean, CEO and Founder of Good Shout
“Any emerging and mass technology can be used by the best people – scientists, doctors and teachers – but my issue is, it will always be used by the worst of people. I will reluctantly accept that for some people, AI means reclaiming time, automating the dull stuff, and making things a bit more accessible. But in the rush to efficiency, we’re completely outsourcing our voices, our quirks, and our weird little ways of saying things. Now, even commenting on LinkedIn can be done by a machine. You can get AI to tell you what to say under someone else’s post. Nothing’s original. Nothing is you. And that’s a huge problem. Because if everything sounds the same, we all become completely forgettable.”
Jaco Vermeulen, CTO at BML
“I think there is a far greater perception created in media that we are proxying our lives to tech tools than our lives are actually being optimised and automated; be it fear, hype or just ignorance about how people actually live. Yes, there are edge cases where individuals use tech all over to track, optimise and run their lives, but those are very few and usually as a proof of concept or overzealous techbros. While most people use activity trackers, calendars, and smartphone tools, the individuals still analyse, decide and schedule their own lives…and are highly unlikely to change that unless that right is taken away from them.”
Derek Cockerton, Founder of Kingfisher Phoenix Ltd.
Gerard Boon, Managing Director of Boon Brokers
“There is a clear over-reliance on technology from society in the Western world. With productivity developments in AI technology, which is growing at an unprecedented rate compared to human productivity, it seems inevitable that humans will become even more dependent on the technology in the future. The need for human cognition for reasoning is diminishing by the day, as AI technology is already far quicker and articulate than humans in most cognitive areas. Unless we really stunt developments in AI technology, humans will naturally rely on it more over time. In the long-term, it seems likely that humans will become far less knowledgeable, as the information will be available immediately from a super-intelligence technology. Therefore, unfortunately, it seems inevitable that humans will ultimately be totally reliant on AI in most industries. To not adapt it fully will be seen as highly inefficient as the technology’s cognitive abilities will vastly eclipse human cognition in every regard. “
Olivia McMillan COO at Iplicit
Dr Lisa Turner, Spiritual Technologist, Systems engineer and Creator of CETfreedom
“As both a systems engineer and expert in personal transformation, I see how technology, though designed to help us, can overreach. We’ve optimised convenience to the point where we risk losing resilience. Smart tech does the thinking, sensing, and even deciding for us, leaving little room to develop the grit, intuition, and inner strength that come from navigating challenge.
The problem isn’t technology itself; it’s the overuse of it to eliminate discomfort. True growth often comes from tension, not ease. When we automate too much, we numb that edge where personal evolution happens. In my work, I use tech to support self-awareness, not to replace it. The key is using these tools as mirrors that reflect who we are, not as crutches that prevent us from evolving. Sometimes, the most powerful upgrade isn’t external, it’s the decision to engage more fully with your own capacity.
Tech should serve as a mirror, not a master. We need to step back, not to reject innovation, but to re-enter the driver’s seat of our humanity. Only then can we design a future where our tools enhance consciousness, rather than replace it.”
Chelsea Hopkins, Social Media and PR Manager at Fasthosts
“The impact of technology is profound, and technological innovation is advancing every day. Technology is optimising our lives in a multitude of areas – there’s a nuanced conversation around whether technology is doing too much for us, and whether it’s gone too far.
Technology is certainly streamlining many areas of our daily lives, from smartwatches tracking our health, to personal assistants managing our schedules, and artificial intelligence often enhancing our workplace systems like making administrative tasks more efficient. It’s crucial to remember that technology should be merely used as a tool to enhance areas of our lives, as opposed to dictating our lives – and it should not erode the critical importance of human interaction, connections, creativity and innovation. We have to befriend technology, so we can harness its capabilities to make our lives easier, but ensure we are not overly dependent on it – or allowing it to substitute human empathy and critical thinking.
It’s important to take a step back so you can see the bigger picture of technology’s impact, and it’s also important to stay informed of the ways in which we can work with technology, but with limitations. It can be a fantastic, convenient tool, and individuals and businesses must find ways to empower ourselves with technology, not replace critical thinking with it. When you consider the bigger picture of technology’s impact, you can be intentional about how you use it. You can keep the control in human hands, and continue to audit and monitor the use of technology, always staying informed. This way, you can embrace the tools that make your life, job, and business run more easily and smoothly. Technology should make things easier for you, and give people the time and freedom to focus on all those tasks that do require critical thinking.
Ultimately, we can harness technology to optimise both our personal and professional lives. When technology is used effectively, as a tool as opposed to a dependent, we can use technology to streamline our lives. It can significantly improve efficiency, and take care of those time-consuming, tedious tasks for us. It all comes down to balance, and ensuring that humans always have control over the systems of technology we are utilising. Technology can never replace a human brain, so it’s vital to consider how individuals and businesses can utilise technology, while always platforming that human critical thinking, empathy, and creativity that cannot be substituted.”
Vivek Behl, VP Strategy, WalkMe
“Rather than worrying that technology innovation is going too far, businesses should be wary of the stark disconnect between ambition and reality. It’s time for organisations to take a step back and ask: where is technology helping, and where is it hurting? Although there is no silver bullet, by gaining visibility into where technology is causing friction and interrupting workflows, businesses can ease workplace stress, improve efficiency, and build a healthier, more engaged workforce.”
Rob Keery, CMO, Anything is Possible
“It’s true you can’t optimise what you can’t measure. But the industry’s adoption of this mantra has missed an important nuance:
More measurement doesn’t mean more optimisation.
Optimisation is all about removing friction from everyday processes: getting where you need with minimal heat and stress. But – especially as it applies to people and their personal devices, rather than businesses – maybe it’s time to make the case for friction.
Friction promotes deliberate decision-making – slowing down impulsive choices by introducing hard obstacles – which are a better signal for reorientation than knowing that you got in fifty more steps today but thirty minutes less sleep (uh oh!)
Friction is the best way to smooth out your sharp edges and bad habits – adding thoughtful resistance to behaviors that conflict with your values. Tech actually helps here, if you are smart enough to go into your settings – try turning off autoplay on your video apps to help you avoid binge-watching, for instance.
Of course, going into your settings is a massive source of friction, which is why most people don’t do it…”
Andre Baptista, Co-Founder of Ethical Hacking Platform Ethiack
“Hardware like smartwatches and smartphones provide the most obvious examples of tech overload. Ours is the first generation to spend many of our waking hours with our heads tilted forward over a small rectangular screen. Text Neck Syndrome is real, and it never affected our grandparents.
But in many ways it’s the software that has quietly welded itself to our daily lives that’s having the greater impact. AI has already changed the way we interact with the internet, and transformed the way we communicate with companies and each other.
Yet for all the hyperbole about AI encroaching on our lives or taking our jobs, I see it as an enabler rather than a threat. My team and I are developing AI-powered hackbots to work alongside the human, ethical hackers we use to test organisations’ cyber defences.
Autonomous, intelligent and always on, the hackbots make excellent partners for flesh and blood cybersecurity specialists, freeing them up to focus more on the challenges that demand creativity, ethics and human problem-solving skills.”
Keeley Crockett, IEEE Member and Professor of Computational Intelligence at Manchester Metropolitan University
“In the near future, agentic AI systems may be able to plan your vacations, shop for your groceries, manage your health, and serve as a personal assistant. Unlike today’s reactive AI assistants, agentic AI is goal-driven and can make decisions without your input. However, to do that, these systems need data – some of it pretty sensitive.
As agentic AI becomes more advanced, there’s a risk that we allow technology to optimise too much of our lives. People may not understand what data is being collected or how it’s being used. This degree of autonomy raises certain ethical questions around informed consent, control and accountability – for example, when something goes wrong, who is responsible? We need to gain more control of what AI can see and do. Transparency, clear explanations and limits on high-risk decisions are crucial.”
Eloise Skinner, Psychotherapist and Founder of The Purpose Workshop and One Typical Day
“As a psychotherapist, I’d say there are definitely some reasons to be cautious. We know from recent research that dependence on AI has an impact on the brain, resulting in cognitive changes not only during use, but having lasting effects beyond the immediate time at which we use the technology. There’s also a push towards over-optimisation in other areas of life – tracking every aspect of our work and lives might deliver some productivity benefits, but it can also leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves, our bodies and the people around us.
Overuse of technology can lead us to feel isolated, and a lack of real-life social interaction can have negative impacts on our health, both in the short and long term. A good approach might be to combine the positive elements of technology usage (more access to information, a better understanding of ourselves / the world, efficiency gains in basic tasks, etc.), with an overall sense of connection to ourselves, our priorities, our ability to think independently and critically, and our relationship to others.”
