Do All Problems Have Technical Fixes?

Tech solutionism, as identified by Moss and Metcalf,7 is the notion that all problems have tractable technical fixes. We see variants in the naming and definition of this phenomenon: the technology imperative,8 or “the underlying technocratic philosophy of inevitability”,4 or even old-fashioned technocracy itself. (My own version is the Artificialistic Fallacy,2 the name a nod to the Naturalisitic Fallacy that “ought” can be derived from “is.”) All versions designate a confident deployment of technology to solve a non-technical problem, with costs and other drawbacks reduced to secondary consideration. (Technological determinism boasts a long history, and Web search will show that the tech imperative troubles healthcare with some urgency.)

A certain Tech Leader promotes a new startup, Sunshine, thus: “… by applying AI … you can both solve valuable problems and you can give people back time. You can also build their confidence in AI.”6 A second Tech Leader as paraphrased on a generative AI product: “The release, he explains, was part of a strategy designed to acclimate the public to the reality that artificial intelligence is destined to change their everyday lives, presumably for the better.”5 This discussion suppresses names (easily determined!) so as not to pin down any particular High Tech spokesperson, as the focus here is not the individual, but the attitude shared across Silicon Valley. That attitude holds the normative stance that the technology is good-for-us whether we like it or not. What’s more, the public needs to be convinced of that. This is puzzling; shouldn’t the clear efficacy of the AI product generate its own fan base?

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