David Pogue on how technology splinters
The guys at Mac Power Users—along with every other tech podcast—recently interviewed tech writer David Pogue. He had shared some good stories about Apple, but one moment stuck with me.
They asked how he thinks about the future. Specifically: will there always be a place for human teachers?
His answer:
Yes. because one thing that I know for sure in my 40 years as a tech journalist is that things don't replace things. Things just splinter. Things add on. So I remember when the Kindle came out, everyone was like, that's the end of printed books. No one will buy a printed book. I remember when Sirius Radio came out, like satellite radio. That's the end of AM, FM, you know, CDs. That's the end of vinyl. No one will ever have vinyl 10 years from now. It never happens. Things just add on. So of course there will be AI generated podcasts and voices, but there will also be human ones.
I think that’s mostly right. I think that’s comforting to hear. Things just splinter. Things just add on.
Then I remembered there’s a guy in my neighborhood who can regularly be seen in his driveway… blacksmithing. The hammer, the anvil, the sparks, the whole thing.
Maybe technology is cyclical. ✱
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