When tech CEOs discuss the future, they often envision a world where smartphones are no longer a necessity. While I initially welcomed this prospect, the alternatives they propose seem to present even greater challenges.

Smartphones: A Testament to Engineering Excellence

It's easy to dismiss modern smartphones as unexciting, given their maturity and lack of the rapid evolution seen in their infancy. Yet, this overlooks their remarkable engineering achievements.

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We've made significant progress, but where do we go from here?

Posts 3 In just under twenty years, we've transformed computers from laptop-sized to slim devices less than half a centimeter thick. These gadgets function without a keyboard or mouse, and their cameras are suitable for professional use. While not indestructible, they withstand most falls and can even survive submersion in water. Though commonplace now, the technology we've developed is truly astonishing.

Some devices still manage to astonish us. I'm typing this on a phone that can unfold into a tablet and connect to an external display to function as a desktop. It's essentially a pocket-sized PC.

The App Conundrum

The negative perception of smartphones doesn't stem from the devices themselves or the constant attention they command. It's more about how we use them and the content we consume.

Smartphone usage has become nearly synonymous with social media. We scroll through feeds filled with content that doesn't interest us, promotes conflict, and fosters narcissism. We use the cameras not just to capture the world but also to take selfies and curate our online personas. Many mobile games are riddled with microtransactions and gambling mechanics, making it difficult to appreciate them as art.

Mindlessly browsing the web feels more enriching than these activities, though it's no substitute for reading books or magazines. We've built a technology with immense potential, yet many talented engineers and designers focus on creating addictive features, often at the expense of our privacy and autonomy.

The Data-Hungry Alternatives

Visionaries don't imagine a future with minimalist phones and increased face-to-face interaction. Instead, they envision wearable AI pins, smart wrist communicators, and AI-integrated smart glasses.

They're striving to create something akin to the BrainPal from John Scalzi's Old Man's War, allowing instant access to all human knowledge and communication through thought alone.

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Posts While the BrainPal might seem invasive, it included privacy features like encryption and local data storage. In contrast, current developers are building these futures using cloud services that centralize all human knowledge and communication, controlled by a few corporations. It's hard to believe they're working for the benefit of humanity when they're clearly consolidating power and seeking wealth.

Smartphones are invasive because we carry them everywhere. Wearable tech, designed to be even more integrated into our lives, will be harder to escape. If we struggle to disconnect from something we must physically pick up, what happens when even that step is removed?

AI: Less Truth, Less Connection

The shift to smartphones initially focused on portability and touchscreens, not social media. It was about carrying media on memory cards, reminiscent of the iPod era.

The technology driving the next shift aims to replace button-tapping with natural language interaction. However, this requires vast data centers and enormous energy consumption, all done remotely over the internet.

These devices we're supposedly communicating with are akin to the worst kinds of people. They lie without remorse, fabricate information, and steal, with no accountability for their errors.

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Who monitors the monitors?

Posts 1 Meta recently introduced a social feed featuring conversations with Meta AI, described by The Verge as a dystopian nightmare. AI-generated images are flooding Facebook, and AI influencers are spreading across platforms. There are already niche social apps like SocialAI where users only interact with chatbots. While some smaller apps are experimenting, TechCrunch reports that Meta aims to generate endless content to keep users engaged, with AI also creating ads.

Social media already substitutes genuine human connection with a simulation that often leaves us feeling lonelier and with a distorted view of reality. What happens when we remove humans entirely from the equation?

Phones were originally about connecting human voices. Smartphones connected us to apps. The future being built revolves around connecting us to AI, which often proves more artificial than intelligent.

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The future promised is one of increased commerce but decreased creativity, more information but less truth, and more communication but less of it between people.

This vision makes me appreciate my current smartphone more. I suspect, and dare to hope, that smartphones will be harder to replace than anticipated. These portable PDAs we've grown to resent? They're actually quite remarkable. If we can encourage more apps and art from small creators, while reducing our interactions with algorithms and media giants, we might find what we're truly seeking.

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