Insights November 21st, 2015
Image via JoyofTech.com
I often have to explain what the Internet of Things is to people. I prefer to give a scenario that has a slightly darker twist to it…this is The Internet of Things 2020 Dilemma
You go out and have a nice meal, some drinks and then onto a club. On the way home (you’re inebriated at 2:30am) you stop the cab to grab 2 slices of dollar pizza and you add more sauce and messily eat this. All of this has been ambiently-captured by your cellphone.
When you get home the stereo refuses to turn up its volume, the fridge auto-locks the beer drawer and the cooker/oven won’t allow you to cook anything. You’re home hates you (and is doing this for your own good) and various appliances start lecturing you and agreeing with each other.
In addition, the gym unlocks and your couch won’t let you sit down…
Do you have to negotiate for your own rights? Do you turn off the appliances and incur a potential arrest for cruelty against sentient intelligence (as defined in the Charter of Robot Rights)? Or do you undertake a 30 min workout and then go to sleep on the floor and pray that you are forgiven in the morning?
The dilemma is, do you let this kind of connectivity into your life as it delivers reduced waste, cost, connectivity and efficiency or do you rely on your own discipline going forward. Not being connected feels more human, being connected and having connected devices feels cool but there are definitely implications.
What would you do?