The idea has now reached a new zenith. A startup called Halo is releasing a pair of smart glasses that will record and transcribe all your conversations and use it to beam you AI-powered insights. It'll remember details you forgot and recall what someone told you they like, the startup says, arming you with facts it looks up on the fly and answering questions you don't know the answer to so you can look like a genius.
Sometimes it seems the most direct route is to automate wherever possible, and to keep iterating until we get it right. Here's why that would be a mistake: imperfect automation is not a first step toward perfect automation, anymore than jumping halfway across a canyon is a first step toward jumping the full distance. Recognizing that the rim is out of reach, we may find better alternatives to leaping-for example, building a bridge, hiking the trail, or driving around the perimeter.