What Spock taught me about technology (and AI?)

I was a kid when I knew I wanted to do something with my life that involved bleeping electronic machines that used science. It was the 80s and I watched Star Trek, my goal was to be best friends with Spock. I wanted to use a computer to make incredible things.

I was able to get a computer in 1989, it was a Microdigital TK 95 – a ZX Spectrum Clone. From there, I evolved to a PC XT, eventually learned to build my own PC, and by the mid 90s I heard about this thing called the Internet. I wanted to be part of it.

Once I first got online, I figured – I don’t want to be part of this – I want to know how it works and I want to *build* this. This is what I am going to do with my life. I got an internship at a very sketchy internet provider in my late teens – but hey, I managed to learn how it all worked.

This is to say that I have always been very passionate about computers as a tool for learning, curiosity, and building something new. The great thing about these early days of the technology industry is that most businesses were small, garage businesses like the sketchy internet provider, ran by the people who built The Thing, and were interested in furthering the development of The Thing.

I’m not by any means saying people didn’t want to make money because everyone wants to make money – otherwise we wouldn’t be where we are – but that money wasn’t the only thing driving businesses. But people were interested in building something with a purpose. Using science and technology to solve problems. Just like Spock.

Then business people took over the industry once they realized how profitable it could be. As a result we have since witnessed mass production of mediocre technology with the purpose of making rich people even more rich, and nothing else.

The AI boom frustrates me to no end because it’s not a technological boom driven by some incredible advancement that makes how we build things fantastically better and improves curiosity. It’s the opposite – the AI boom exists to get some few people their new mega yacht while the industry delivers mid to poor quality software where we used to have actually good stuff. Don’t argue with me – I’m absolutely right!

Don’t think I’m a Luddite – I own multiple computers, I tinker with technology on my free time, I love learning new things. I just want us in this industry to deliver good quality products again, crafted by a human – a human that is passionate, curious and loves learning. Even if that means one less mega yacht, you know?

I know one thing: Spock never used AI