Technology has changed. So should the conversation.

I’ve spent more than 20 years talking about technology and how it can improve people’s lives. For most of that time, I was optimistic about the future. I still believe tech can make our lives better. But I’m increasingly concerned that companies building technology have stopped asking whether it actually does. I think it’s time we started asking hardwer questions. My column for Network World (2000-2018) aimed to explain the benefits of new devices and software to business and personal users. This same optimism carried over to my podcasting and video career, where Today in Tech (on Computerworld) and DEMO (on CIO.com) continued the technology conversation with industry thought leaders. Somewhere along the way, the relationship between technology companies and their customers changed. The tech industry now seems more interested in telling us what we need than listening to what we want. New technologies are being pushed into our workplaces, devices, and daily lives, often without clear explanations of how they make things better. Often, there are hidden benefits for the tech companies themselves (personal data, algorithms that exploit users’ emotions, etc.) We’re expected to embrace …

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