As artificial intelligence is utilized by most retail businesses, we consumers are directed to websites, chat boxes and computerized voices for the answers to our questions. Whether we are refilling a prescription, have questions about a product, scheduling service or hoping to return merchandise, a kind, empathetic human is often hard to find.
Efficiency is king for the retailers, who can cut their human workforce and collect even more data from their customers. The dehumanization of commerce is underway and will surely only increase.
Meanwhile, the diminishing opportunity for human communication and interaction is blamed for many ills in modern society. Social gatherings have been replaced by social media encounters. We must take the initiative ourselves by joining clubs, shopping in person, attending "live events" and by encouraging our family and friends to do the same.
