Automation, a curse or a blessing?

About a year ago, on November 17, 1992, to be precise, the then vice-chancellor Dr. C. Datema, asked me to deliver an inaugural address. I immediately knew the title I would use: ‘Automation, a curse or a blessing!’

I felt it would be too easy to just give a purely professional speech, considering the large number of publications with which I had been involved over the past few years. In any case, at the acceptance of a named professorship for a special chair at a special university, a moment of reflection is in order, especially if the occasion takes place in the more contemplative month of December and the ‘principles of the Vrije Universiteit’ are endorsed.

Six years ago, my learned colleague, Prof. Dr. J.C. van Vliet, delivered a speech entitled: ‘Speaking of Quality’. I have uttered quite a few opinions on this subject; those who are interested are referred to appendix A.

What struck me with Van Vliet was his last paragraph, which was as follows:

Society is becoming more and more dependent on automation. The quality of the systems we deliver is becoming increasingly decisive for the quality of our very existence. We may not shun this responsibility. This means that we must be extremely reticent with techniques we do not sufficiently master.

I want to try and pick up where Van Vliet left off. With the title: ‘Automation, a curse or a blessing’, I am trying to contribute to starting a discussion about the quality of human life in an automated society. Elaborating on my colleague Van Vliet’s quality theme, I have chosen a more philosophical angle. My philosophical remarks spring from an attempt of many years at practical philosophy, a form of philosophy that starts with the studying of our own mind. I have not enjoyed any academic training in this field, but I consider myself fortunate to still be a novice very often. A novice in terms of zen2).

After the title ‘blessing or curse’ sprang to mind, hundreds of ideas arose, enough to fill a huge volume. The problem one faces in such cases is how to string such beautiful fragments together like beads, into one linear story. Although my colleagues cannot accuse me of too great an interest in technical contrivances, I had quite a difficult time in conceiving of a non-technical, contemplative essay on the possible role of automation. Nevertheless, I want to encourage my colleagues of information technology to devote more attention to the contemplative side of our profession, for this creates the distance that is so desperately needed. After all, automation induces cold, analytical actions, which in many cases even lead to excessively thinking in models. For some this is a reason to protest and to realise that ‘this is not the way’, that thinking like a computer is not in keeping with the dignity of man as a conscious creature. A clash of the titans between Logic and Reason!

The subject of ‘curse or blessing’ borderlines between daydreaming and extremely serious discourse. I therefore had some doubts as to whether a subject such as this is in fact suitable for an address. I finally decided to give in to my first inclination (something we once used to call the voice of our conscience) and I abandoned all my confusing and inept doubts.

But enough reasoning for a mere introduction; let us start at the beginning.