“Okay Google, turn Rosie off!” my 5-year-old screams across the house to turn off our robot vacuum. Rosie, an integral part of cleaning up after our family, is lovingly named after Rosie from “The Jetson’s,” the animated sitcom that aired well before anyone in our house was born. The show shared stories from a family in the future, complete with a robot maid, flying cars, video meetings, and jet packs. Watching the show as a kid, most of those things seemed like an unlikely reality to me, but when I look around my house today… maybe they weren’t that far fetched? It’s 2023 and I have a robot vacuum, a washer/dryer that sends push notifications to my phone when laundry is done, I can make video calls on my phone or laptop, we can pay with an app on our phones, and if I were in a different tax-bracket I could even take a recreational trip to space. If we think today’s technology and gadgets are standard… what will be the new normal in 20 years?
When my husband first started making minor “smart” upgrades to our home, I was hesitant to fully embrace the transition. I remember objecting, “Why would I need an app to turn on/off the light switch? I can literally stand up and just do it myself.” Slowly, I started utilizing some of the features, setting up routines for the kids’ sound machines, using it for timers in the kitchen while cooking, or adjusting the thermostat from my bed in the wintertime. These aren’t actions that I needed to have done for me, but it has definitely been nice. I love the added convenience to my life, but it’s not without reservations. I’ve never questioned our use of technology in the house more than when we realized that one of our toddler’s first words was, “Google.”
This month at Grotto, we’re talking about the future. Can we find a responsible way to use new technologies while still keeping a human touch in the world? What does the future look like to you? How do we plan for the future? Will AI run the world? Did any books, shows, or movies accurately predict parts of the future? Let’s explore these questions together — and see where they take us.
—Ciara Kanczuzewski
Project Manager
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Illustration credit: Ryan Peltier
