Do digital methods of communication connect us the way interaction in the real world does? If we’re chatting online, are we really together? And what does it mean to be alive in the emerging world of artificial intelligence?
Sociologist and researcher, Sherry Turkle has been studying the way we interact with — and through — computers since the 1970s. Founder and director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, Turkle has written a new book, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other, that addresses some of the psychological and social concerns we face as we become ever more plugged in.
Have a look at our conversation on robot puppies, teen texting and what “full attention” means in an age of smart phones here.