Artificial Intelligence #automation#ai
How Automation Erodes Human Control: Lessons from the Decline of the Manual Transmission
In a WIRED book excerpt, Ian Bogost explores how automation has quietly reduced direct human-machine interaction, using the near-extinction of manual transmissions as a metaphor. Data from CarMax shows stick-shift sales dropped from over 15% in 2000 to 2.4% in 2020, as automakers like Mercedes and Volkswagen phase out manuals. Philosopher Matthew Crawford argues that maintaining 'natural bonds between action and perception' is essential for autonomy and meaning.
Jul 7, 2026 1 source