Reconnecting – a return to the human touch
How we’re embracing tech and people at the same time.
As technology evolves, so do our expectations. Our Social Media and Marketing Manager, Georgia Preston, is looking into the recent evolution of tech, and how we’re looking to reconnect with a return to the human touch.
What goes around always seems to come back around, and it would seem as a human race we can be pretty indecisive when it comes to what we want. Take fashion, millennials who grew up in the era of skinny jeans, have had that trend beaten out of them over the last few years, not least due to flocks of Gen Z mocking 00s style on TikTok, yet earlier this year Vogue declared ‘The skinny jean is back’ as they adorned AW24 runways.
And this cycle of desirability is not exclusive to fashion. If you shift your focus to tech and look at mobile phones, a visual line up of the evolution reads like the big dipper. As tech advanced, we became obsessed with making everything more compact and pocket size, until other areas of tech caught up and we realised having a larger screen gave us more opportunity.
This cyclical pattern of human desire does seem particularly evident in the realm of tech, even beyond mobile phones. We’ve seen a similar pendulum swing when it comes to AI and automation. Initially, the allure of technology was fascinating and quickly adopted by businesses. AI-powered tools promised to automate tasks, personalise experiences, and deliver levels of efficiency that real people couldn’t achieve. So, businesses embraced these innovations, eager to streamline operations and gain a competitive edge.
However, as these tools became the norm, the honeymoon period was soon over and frustrations began to build. Chatbots couldn’t understand our queries, automated systems were too rigid to accommodate exceptions, and impersonal experiences left us feeling disconnected. Hands up if you’ve ever found yourself saying “I just want to talk to a human”. The trade-off of human touch for the promise of efficiency seemed to cause just as many issues as it fixed, so what’s the middle ground?
The Balancing Act of Tech and Humanity
The conversation around a want for humanity isn’t exclusive to AI. Take the world of B2B tech, historically B2B has been branded dry, direct and functional, lacking creativity and emotion because that’s saved for B2C. But businesses are run by people, people who buy from other businesses which are also run by people, so why should we ignore them or devalue their want for human connection?
As time goes on, it’s becoming more widely understood and accepted that when it comes to tech and humanity it’s not one or the other, it’s a balancing act. To win, tech has to be human by design, and the use of it must consider the following:
Redirecting human potential – Introduce tech and tools to help streamline and accelerate tasks that will ultimately free up people to add more value in other areas, areas that can’t be replicated by a machine. Don’t put something in place for the sake of it.
Value connection – Value doesn’t always come from speed or efficiency, it can come from relationships, empathy and understanding. Not everything can be resolved with tech or a tool, so prioritise connection and put people first where it counts.
Act with intention – There is a place for tech, a place for people, and a place for both to collaborate, so make sure you’re using them for the right reasons, and not resorting to one or the other without thought.
Looking to the future
As the tech landscape continues to evolve, I think it’s essential to remember that technology is a tool and not a substitute for human skill and empathy. We’ve seen from experience that putting all of our eggs in one basket leaves room for issues and frustrations, so embracing a balanced approach that leverages both the power of technology and the value of human connection is key.
Whilst we may have disregarded person-to-person interaction when AI was the shiny new tech on the scene in the same way we did our skinny jeans when wide leg hit the high street, this recent craving for efficiency that doesn’t come at the cost of warmth and a personal touch, shows that human connection will always be en Vogue.