The Glass Cage

In May 2009 an Airbus A330 passenger jet equipped with the latest ‘glass cockpit* controls plummeted 30,000 feet into the Atlantic. The reason for the crash: the autopilot had routinely switched itself off. Faced with having to fly the plane themselves, the pilots suffered a total loss of cognitive control’ and plunged all 228 passengers and crew to their deaths.

Automation is everywhere – from the thermostat in our homes and the GPS in our phones to the algorithms of High Frequency Trading and self-driving cars. We now use it to diagnose patients, educate children, evaluate criminal evidence and fight wars. But psychological studies show that we perform best when fully involved in a task, while the principle of automation – that humans are inefficient – is self-fulfilling. As we become increasingly dependent on software to make decisions for us, the glass cockpit becomes a glass cage.

In this utterly engrossing exposé, bestselling writer Nicholas Carr uses remarkable case studies – from the navigation techniques of Inuit hunters to the errant trading of S7 billion on Wall Street by an algorithm gone rogue – to reveal how automation is changing us: our ability not just to read maps and drive cars but to solve problems, forge memories and acquire skills. Rather than rejecting technology, Carr argues that we must urgently rethink its role in our lives, using it to enhance rather than diminish the extraordinary abilities that make us human.