In the past few years there has been an unprecedented level of consumer backlash, fuelled by fear and mistrust – and we're all standing at the crossroads of where to go next.
This public sentiment is mirrored in the agency world, where creative shops are struggling to deliver the promise of technology, for clients and themselves.
Few would argue that technology has delivered the platform for countless societal advances. From Gutenberg's printing press, to the drone-delivery of blood and medical supplies in Rwanda. And many of us feel like the gravest challenges to our collective future – climate change, irrigation and education – can be met by harnessing the power of technology.
At the same time, the mistrust in today's tech is understandable, especially given the pervasive negativity of the ubiquitous smartphone.
Technophobia isn't new – there will always be luddites and naysayers – especially in a rapidly evolving society.
We’ve coveted personal devices since the invention of the compass (China 200 BC), and our forebears were fast to appreciate the exponential power of the electronic era (ushered in by the remote switch, US 1835).
The rapidly advancing pace of technology improvement has catalysed most generations to arrogantly believe they’re overseeing the pinnacle of human achievement.
Of course they’re wrong.
The pace of technical advancement will only ever increase, and the most exciting years of our species are undoubtedly still to come. All thanks to the undeniable truism of nature being the mother of invention.
Sure, Moore’s law is slowing down, but the forceful arrival of automation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution ensures we’ll double-down (again) on technology, and the resulting societal enhancements.
Yet in the midst of these swirling macro changes, it’s pretty clear we're at a critical point in human-tech evolution – largely because so many people are pushing back (very hard) against technology.
In the past few years we’ve seen education droids smashed up by guys with baseball bats, a ‘pleasurebot’ destroyed at an Austrian electronics show, and the dismembering of a global hitchhiking robot during its visit to New Zealand.
Our greatest anger has been directed at self-driving cars, with Waymo the most victimised.
Its vehicles have been chased, yelled at, had their tyres slashed, and been the victim of now-arrested gun-toting citizens.
The reason why is that our robotic cousins are simultaneously fearsome, and easy to bully.
And yet the current tech backlash is not about technology – it never has been – it's about us, and our inability to handle change in an increasingly complex world.
Just because there are new apps and digital toys, it doesn’t mean we have to use them.
If we're bored, it's our choice to turn to social media or choose something more rewarding.
That said, our fears of technology are justified.
Fresh research in the US suggests that all its counties need their own strategy to survive the impact of automation, as technology is swiftly altering the nature of employment.
Customers are perceptive, informed, and empowered – and engaging them is harder than ever. Recent studies show that 76% of ads aren’t recalled, and one in four Britons deletes apps on the same day they’re installed.
The key technology challenges for creative agencies include meeting internal and external expectations, and increasing time-to-market.
Demonstrating value quickly is critical because of the short tenure of chief marketing officers, and the time required to implement (and show the value of) enterprise-level systems.
And in an increasingly digital world, compliance is paramount – especially given the financial penalties that could be levied at companies failing to comply with GDPR rules.
Creative agencies can reduce the risk associated with technology roll-out by exercising a test-and-learn approach.
Used properly, technology is great for increasing efficiency and accuracy.
Automation can free up time spent on inefficient tasks, and contextual recommendations (provided by machine learning) can provide decision support in the creative process.
Conceptual thinking can be aided by new sources of inspiration (such as Yossarian Lives), and the burgeoning start-up community focused exclusively on using technology and AI to enhance creativity.
Most importantly, creatives should be starting to work in collaboration with machines, to increase both the quality and speed of output, and to future-proof their roles in a marketplace that is ripe for reinvention.
The great irony is that while technology is still considered by most as a cold influence on the creative process, it has the power to streamline numerous tasks and free up time that can be repurposed for creative thinking.
Alastair Cole is director of creative technology at Engine