Business

Humanoid Machines or Mechanized Humans

The other day I was talking to a few friends from the retail business. They were mentioning the importance of processes and systems. It made life easier for the team on the shop floor and catered to nearly all situations. When one of their wives very innocently asked – ‘ But what about the human touch ?’.

Across all businesses, we have been making efforts to streamline and remove variables arising out of the ‘humanness’ of service. The motto seems to be the same service wherever you go.

I was flipping through the pages of the newsletter from the robotics department of a large university and the objective was to humanize the robots. Loads of time and energy have gone into research across many educational and research establishments. Imagine a machine that behaved just like a human!

What a strange conundrum!

We want humans to behave more and more like machines and on the other hand, we want machines to behave more and more like humans.

Individually, each example I had mentioned earlier, seemed relevant and necessary but when the twain meets (and seems a possibility) it will present to us – the next conundrum. Whom do we choose or do we go back to where we started?

Vejay Anand

For consultation and advice - https://topmate.io/vejay_anand_s

Recent Posts

Great Activations: Oreo – Square Cookies

Oreo’s Square Cookies campaign shows how a legacy brand broke its own icon to drive…

21 hours ago

When Privacy and Personalisation Pull Consumers in Opposite Directions

Indian consumers want personalised shopping - but not at the cost of privacy. Why trust,…

2 days ago

The US Department Store Decline: A Warning and an Opportunity for India

Those who assume “India is different” without adapting may find themselves repeating a very familiar…

2 days ago

Great Activations – Thanks for Coke Creating

Thanks for Coke-Creating elevates real, hand-painted shop murals into global ads-honouring local creativity while reinforcing…

2 days ago

Why Digital-First Pet Brands in India Are Moving Offline

Digital-first pet brands in India are moving offline as physical retail becomes key for trust,…

2 weeks ago

Young Pet Parents Are Redefining How India Buys for Pets

Young Indian pet parents are reshaping petcare buying through social platforms, influencer trust, and education-led…

2 weeks ago