NO AI: Natural Order vs Artificial Intervention.
Technological advancements are exciting — they make life easier, more efficient, and more connected. Nearly every aspect of our lives has been transformed by innovation. But what about the problems that come along with it?
I’m not here to paint a doomsday scenario where AI-powered androids turn against humanity or people are left without a job because AI replaced them. My concern lies in the hidden gaps — the unintended consequences of this relentless technological progress.
The aspects we overlook in our pursuit of efficiency, the subtle shifts in our daily lives, and the human experiences that technology might just ignore.
NOK: Natural Order Kaputt.
Result-based approach
Not everything is about results. A robot powered by AI can plant trees faster, more efficiently, and in greater numbers than anyone ever could. But the emotions a person experiences while planting a tree, the bond they form with it afterward, the sense of pride and happiness it brings — these are things that mere results cannot replace.
Yet, in the modern times, almost everything revolves around the “performance” — numbers, growth, results, and so on. The bond between a person and a tree has no place in any business model. What matters most is simply having “more trees.”
Of course, this is an oversimplification — things are far more complex than these simple examples can capture. However, it still sheds light on the darker side of technological advancement (no pun intended).
NO AI: Natural Order vs Artificial Intervention
When you sign up for Facebook, you fill in fields with personal information, and the moment you click “Sign Up,” numerous background processes are triggered. Your data is stored in a database, algorithms likely run additional tasks — categorizing your interests, analyzing your location, calculating what number user you are, and more.
This is simply the natural order of the registration process.
Now, imagine manually entering your data directly into the database. This wouldn’t trigger the usual background tasks — no algorithms categorizing your interests, no calculations about your user position, no additional processes running. Eventually, this would lead to inconsistencies. The natural order of the system would be broken, which I call — Natural Order Kaputt — the broken state of natural order.
It’s like crossing a border without going through passport control. The end result is the same — you’re in the country. Just like with the sign-up process, your registration data is recorded. But the crucial side tasks that ensure everything runs smoothly are missing.
When we focus solely on the end result, we overlook the side tasks that are just as important — sometimes even more so.
Take a game, for example. It is a good example of why purely result-based approach sucks. We play to win; that’s our goal. But imagine if winning were too easy. Technically, you’ve achieved your goal — you’re the winner. But would that really make you happy?
The same principle applies to technological advancement. We get the results we aimed for, and logically, isn’t that what we wanted?
“We wanted to win, and we won.”
But the truth is, we didn’t just want to win — we wanted to play. It’s not just about reaching the goal; it’s about the journey that leads us there.
We don’t just want to eat sunflower seeds — we enjoy to crack them open first.
In the past, we wrote letters by hand. The limitations of paper and ink made each word more meaningful. We poured our hearts into every sentence. Even our handwriting carried emotion. Then came the waiting — sometimes for months — for a reply. And when it arrived, we cherished it, often keeping letters from loved ones for years. The entire ritual of letter-writing was an emotional experience in itself.
Today, that order has been disrupted. Messages are instant, effortless, and disposable. Instead of feeling longing, we feel boredom. Instead of missing, we’re simply distracted.
Ironically, social networks were meant to connect us — but often, they do the opposite. Instead of bringing us closer, they distract us, pulling us away from real, meaningful interactions.
No wonder, why there are so many people with ADHD today…
Imitations instead of limitations
There’s an irony in progress — we have less and less technological limitations and alongside we make more and more imitations of what was already there before (naturally).
We do sports to mimic physical activities that were necessary to survive. We use shampoos filled with chemicals to replicate the “avocado power” that once nourished hair naturally.
After COVID-19, many companies shifted to remote work. Even though going to office was itself an imitation of going hunting (getting food), an extra layer of detachment was added.
Remote work became one of the ultimate expressions of NOK.
Isolation from colleagues, excessive time spent with a partner, and no real need to leave the apartment — all of these are symptoms of NOK. When you leave home for work, you and your partner naturally miss each other — that space is healthy for a relationship. But when you’re together 24/7, and even when you do step outside, you remain connected through endless messages, the natural rhythm of separation and reunion is lost. This is the NOK in its purest form.
Black Museum
I invite you to watch the Black Museum episode from the Black Mirror series on Netflix. Don’t worry, I’ll give you just a small spoiler — it’s not a crucial part of the episode.
Long story short: the consciousness of a dying woman is transferred into her boyfriend’s brain. Like a voice in his head, she can talk to him, see what he sees, feel what he touches — essentially, she overcomes death. But death itself — is the natural order. Hacking it will probably bring a lot of social problems.
At first, it sounds romantic, even beautiful. After all, who wouldn’t want their loved one to be immortal? But soon, it becomes unbearable. If your partner is not alive physically, but can watch your actions — it’s NOK.
Probably, “show me your phone” will be replaced to “show me your thoughts” in the future. Refusing means you have something to hide. But without “thought-reading” device there won’t be such a problem…
The similar privacy breach is demonstrated in Arkangel episode — also great example of NOK.
I won’t spoil any more details — just watch it! 😊
POP: Paradoxes Of Progress
Homo Passivius
First, physical tasks were replaced by machines, making humans increasingly passive. We became so inactive that even pressing a button now feels like an effort — it’s easier to just say, “OK Google, play some music.”
Then came AI, and with it, mental passivity started spreading like a disease. I have to admit — I used ChatGPT for grammar checks and to make my sentences more polished while writing this article. (considering that english is not my first language). And the more I use it, the more I feel my own writing skills fading.
The same thing with coding, translating and other things…
It’s a paradox — AI makes things easier, but at what cost?
To relax, not to be passive
Before email was invented, people probably imagined that if they could exchange business letters in a day instead of a week, they’d finish their work faster and have more time to rest. But reality played out differently.
With greater technological capacity, new tasks emerged. The faster you can send an email, the more emails you’re expected to send. Instead of using that extra time to rest, we just fill it with more work.
Perhaps today, this is gradually changing — and I’m genuinely happy about that. I’m not against progress at all; in fact, I appreciate how it makes life easier. It’s great to have more time to relax.
But the key word here is relax — not to become completely passive. There’s a fine line between using technology to enhance our lives and letting it turn us into spectators rather than participants.
We still haven’t found the perfect balance… and maybe that’s the real challenge of modern progress.
P.S
Modern man thinks he loses something — time — when he does not do things quickly; yet he does not know what to do with the time he gains — except kill it.
Erich Fromm
Choices make noises
When we have more choices to do, to become, to consume etc.— at some point it becomes tiresome. To make a choice between thousand of choices itself make the things complicated. They distract.
If a new Magnum flavor is released, I’d be interested in trying it. But if there were a website with millions of Magnum flavors, where the “new one” is just one among countless others, it wouldn’t be exciting anymore.
Because it’s not just about the taste — it’s also about a psychological satisfaction. The joy comes from having tried all the Magnum flavors, and when a new one appears, it feels like a small achievement to add it to the collection. But when the choices become endless, it turns into something impossible.
With a lot of choices — you’re confused and distracted to make a (right) choice.
Or imagine you installed GTA: SA, but there are no missions at all. You’re free to do countless things you would like to in the open-world. Wouldn’t you be disappointed, though?
If progress would make everything for us — what we’re going to do then?
The world would become like a CS:GO server with no enemies to fight — just you, standing there, armed with the most advanced weapons, but with nothing to use them on.
With fewer choices, you’re more focused on what you have and it’s easier to make a choice.
A child with too many toys will constantly switch between them, struggling to decide which one to play with. But having just one precious toy makes it more valuable — it becomes special. It’s far easier to form an emotional bond with a single beloved teddy bear than with a countless collection of toys from different cartoons.
Too many choices don’t always bring more happiness — sometimes, they just bring distraction.
Creativity sold out
Here is another example: a father who comes up with a creative idea to decorate his son’s birthday cake. He puts time and effort into it, making both himself and his son feel special — because the cake is original, something unique to them. The guests are impressed, and the moment feels meaningful.
But today, thanks to technological advancements, ordering a cake with any decoration is effortless. Creativity is no longer the key factor — it’s just a matter of price. The question isn’t who has the best idea, but who can pay more for a fancier, more impressive cake.
What was once an expression of love and effort has become just another transaction.
Sure, you can still use your own creativity to come up with something unique. But when there are infinite ready-made alternatives, motivation fades.
Why spend time designing something yourself when you can just order a professionally made version? And even if you do create something original, chances are it won’t feel as special anymore — it will be overshadowed by countless other extravagant options available in the market.
When everything is accessible, creativity often takes a backseat.
These are the Paradoxes that come along with Progress.
Nozick’s machine
I’d like to wrap up the article by the potential climax of the progress — the imaginary ever-functioning dopamine machine.
Everything we do, we do for pleasure. But what if we reach a level of technological advancement where AI-powered machines can sustain the human body indefinitely, keeping a person sedated while continuously stimulating their pleasure receptors?
Does that sound appealing?
After all, everything we do in life ultimately serves one purpose — to bring us happiness. But now, imagine a machine that delivers pure pleasure — effortlessly, endlessly, without struggle or delay.
Nozick first introduced the experience machine thought experiment in 1974 in his book Anarchy, State, and Utopia.
In The Examined Life (1989), Nozick presented it as follows:
When connected to this experience machine, you can have the experience of writing a great poem or bringing about world peace or loving someone and being loved in return. You can experience the felt pleasures of these things, how they feel “from the inside.” Basically, this machine could give you any experience (or sequence of experiences) you might desire.
You can program your experiences for tomorrow, or this week, or this year, or even for the rest of your life. If your imagination is impoverished, you can use the library of suggestions extracted from biographies and enhanced by novelists and psychologists. You can live your fondest dreams “from the inside.”
It’s like your consciousness is uploaded into a Matrix of your own design. A world built entirely around your desires, where you are in control. You are, quite literally, the God of your own reality.
Logically, it seems like the perfect outcome. No suffering, no boredom, no unmet desires. But deep down… would you really want it? Would it still feel meaningful if nothing was ever out of reach? Would you choose to live there for the rest of your life? If not, why not?
I believe, when everything is given effortlessly, without struggle, without contrast — pleasure becomes meaningless. When there’s nothing left to reach for, no reason to wait, no challenge to overcome, existence itself loses its depth.
Progress was meant to enhance life, not replace it. Yet, with every step forward, we seem to disconnect more from what made life fulfilling in the first place.
Is perfection truly what we seek? Or is it the pursuit of happiness that makes life worth living?
I leave you something to imagine. — R. Feynman
