'Tech can't solve everything, PCs can't replace humans'

BANGALORE, INDIA: Technology cannot solve everything, computers can never replace humans and a monopolistic world cannot encourage innovation, observed Andrew McAfee, principle research scientist, MIT Sloan School of Management.

Andrew McAfee made these observations delivering the closing key note, “ The triumphs and tensions of technology”, at the EmTech India 2011 here on Wednesday.

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Stating that today's innovators seem to be laying too much 'faith' in technology and seeing everything through the prism of the same, McAfee observed that one could come with better innovations that can be helpful if he or she could think from the reality perspective.

The renowned scientist pointed out that the innovation and industrial revolution of 17th and 18th centuries were responsible for the economic growth as it provided considerable power to the human muscle. Like how the late industrial revolutions powered the human muscle, today, we need the same kind of revolution that can power our brains, he emphasized.

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Companies like Facebook, Twitter, Zinga and Groupon have reached a pinnacle of popularity in a short time. This has brought in the question as to weather one should look at the old style of innovation or the new examples.

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But how helpful are they? While social networking companies have facilitated better communication and also fuelling the 'Autonomy Vs Control' conflict going on in the middle east. But I see Facebook, Twitter and Google only as 'Bermuda triangle of attention diversion,”  said McAfee, adding that if one is not cautious in adopting technology the same can result in the loss of productivity.

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