There's been a deluge of sentiment, articles, and posts about people feeling dissatisfied, trapped, and alienated by the state of the tech industry. I'm no stranger to it; I'm one of them. I spend most of my days at work and in my free time thinking about AI—usually against my will. (I wrote that em-dash myself, thank you very much.)
I think the tension in the tech industry right now is the most palpable of any point in my nearly 20 years as a product designer. In thinking about why, I've landed at: we've transformed from a congregation of technologists to a cult of techno-optimists—or even worse, techno-opportunists.
This draft has been sitting in Obsidian for probably almost a year now. Recently, pieces like Ky Decker's Do I belong in tech anymore? and Nilay Patel's monologue THE PEOPLE DO NOT YEARN FOR AUTOMATION, along with many of my own recent experiences have made me revisit this thought and work it into something worth sharing.
I want to briefly define what I mean when I refer to “technologist”, since it’s a term that means a lot of different things to different people. In a nutshell, I consider technologists to be a group of people excited to explore technology and its uses. Through pushing the boundaries of what's possible, they create new technologies that were previously considered impossible. However, the best technologists I've known weren't afraid or ignorant of the limitations they faced, and cared deeply about how their technology would affect society, ethics, and the world.
Let’s also define another term: “techno-optimists”. This group sees technology only as it exists in its best-case scenario, rejecting any of its faults or shortcomings. They have a hard time accepting reality or criticism, and ultimately only want to see things in the best possible light. They are toxic positivity, personified.
Finally, “techno-opportunists” deceive others, making them believe that technology can do more than it realistically can for their own political or financial gain. This group has very little interest in “technology” or how it impacts institutions or society at large. They care about it solely as a vessel that can continue to provide them benefits unimpeded. In short, they are capitalists.
Through this lens, we can explain the shift in what “working in tech” feels like and why so many employees feel less satisfied and fulfilled. There’s a large population of our peers that simply don’t care about the what or the why, only the how... and not the how you’re thinking of. "How much money can we make from this?"
Instead of the classical two-way tug of war between technologist and capitalist, the introduction of the wide-eyed, bushy tailed techno-opportunists shifted the balance of power in the wrong way. Techno-optimists are incapable of seeing how their denial of reality and toxic positivity only serves the group that never had those lofty ideals in mind.
Personally, I think it's easy to track where this mentality really picked up speed. Cryptocurrency was never about democratizing money the same way that AI isn't about revolutionizing work. Both of these technologies are convenient means of assuming more control over the world and the systems that govern it, removing agency from individuals in the process.
I think this is what people are responding to: there is no curiosity here, no upside to push for. Techno-optimists rejecting criticism and discussion provide an incredibly convenient cover for the capitalists in our wake, who seek to suck whatever joy was left in making software (or art, or music, or anything) to sell it back to us for $20 a month.