In many ways we haven't really consciously decided what is at the core of being human. We've been willing to automate a lot and we're seeing limits.

We have largely used technology to ease our lives, and later automate things. We're more efficient at transportation, farming, manufacturing and communicating with each other. That has made things faster, helped us produce more, and create abundance.

Here's where we see limits.

If our communications are automated with avatars/AI, what's the purpose of f2f communication? Turns out, avoiding depression and having the ability to resolve conflict.

If our entertainment is entirely solitary due to hyper personalization, what's the point of shared events and experiences? Turns out, building real relationships and social connections

If our economy is mostly automatic, what's the purpose of jobs that produce things? Turns out, teaching, coaching, therapy and other human experiences are the things we can uniquely produce.

So to me, technologies will try to commercialize automating everything. They will hit these limits, create shitty consequences, and guardrails will arise.

But history tells us that we need to see the shitty side of things to care and establish the guardrails.