Technology has revolutionised our lives in unimaginable ways. The pace of change may have been slow initially, but the foundations laid earlier have ensured that it has grown exponentially since the turn of the century. However, a few recent incidents made me realise that these machines can only be as good as the way they are programmed, utilised, and improved upon. One weekend, we ordered dinner through a major food delivery app. Our order was accepted by the kitchen, and soon enough, the delivery partner was also assigned.
I called the delivery boy, who had remained stationary at the restaurant location even past the expected delivery time. The rider confirmed that he was waiting outside the mall for a call from the restaurant to pick up the food. The restaurant was unreachable on the contact number that I could dial only through the app. By now, the delivery time had also been revised. A call to the helpline in Bangalore resulted in their calling the same unreachable number. The order was promptly cancelled, and the money was refunded. Another time, the restaurant on the same platform confirmed handing over the food to the rider. This time, he was unreachable. I received a message that the delivery would be made within the next few minutes, even though the app was reflecting the delivery boy at the same location near the restaurant the entire time. A few days later, I ordered an Ayurvedic medicine through a leading medicine delivery app. An expected delivery time was promptly given, which continued to remain on display, even till the actual delivery — almost three hours later. A leading national airline has also developed a similar interface for flyers. This platform provides almost real-time updates. My recent flight to Delhi from Raipur was delayed by a few hours due to operational issues.
The app continued to display the status of the incoming flight as ‘Taxiing’. I could not fathom whether it was at the departing or the arriving airport. There was no staff at the boarding desk. There were no updates, either on the phone or through announcements, for a long time. I was a grumpy old man as I landed after midnight. These are not isolated cases. There are numerous examples of the cancellation of cabs by drivers. Many have unpleasant experiences with other platforms. The messages in all such cases are automated without confirmation by a helpdesk executive.
A positive confirmation, either by an executive or even by the concerned parties on the app, with adverse consequences in case of default, might be one of the solutions. My 95-year-old father sometimes gets frustrated when he is unable to locate a file on his laptop or smartphone. He blames it on the electronic device. I tell him that the gadgets and virtual services will do what they are wired to do.
These modern gadgets and apps are supposed to make our lives simpler and not complicate them beyond the daily stress we already undergo in this fast-paced world. I would certainly be happy if a helpdesk executive connects with me, apologises and compensates me for the deficiency in service, without me having to dial an unreachable number, or dial a highly busy number which is connected after numerous attempts and pressing several keys. It is not an impossible ask.
AI has pervaded all walks of our lives through our smartphones and computers. I find all my social media handles and internet explorers flooded with feeds and advertisements about a product or service over which I may have spent a little more time than a fleeting glance on a platform.
I have a sneaking suspicion that AI captures our requirements — even snooping through our conversations. One day, I was discussing something with my wife. The next time I opened my mobile, I had a lot of feeds about the said product. Humans are the only beings on Earth with a highly evolved intellect that is working around the clock for a life of comfort for mankind. A trained backend official should be used not only to soothe frayed nerves but also as a feedback mechanism for software and machine improvement. This would be an investment worth making and should not be treated as an unnecessary expense. We must understand that humans and technology are co-dependent for a mutually beneficial relationship.
(The author is an electrical engineer with the Indian Railways and conducts classes in creative writing; views are personal)