Just because the tablecloth says so?

Being advised what to do by smart material should not be an aspiration.

By ET Bureau | Oct 27, 2020, 08.08 AM IST

It is true that we have gotten very used to machines to do basic chores. Never mind multiplication tables, very few remember phone numbers, addresses or even passwords these days. And once machines really get going, there will be scarcely a task that humans will have to bestir themselves to accomplish.

With AI now catching up in story writing, music composition and art, there may soon be no reason for humans to do anything except think for ourselves. But science (and the humans who further it) may undermine even that basic activity, judging from the recent news that scientists are developing a new ‘smart material’ that when laid on a table can detect all objects that are put on it except metallic ones.

Why would humans want a tablecloth to tell them what is on the surface, how long they have been there or, indeed, offer suggestions on what to do with the items?

It presupposes that humans may soon be incapable of identifying objects even when in plain view and need options for future action. It also appears to disregard the possibility of the very human trait of illogicality being at play: the objects on the table may be there for no reason at all.

Will the tablecloth then issue an ultimatum to the dithering owner demanding action or simply let things lie? Or will it fold up and retire from the crease?

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