Social implications of technological disruptions: A transdisciplinary
cybernetics science and occupational science perspective
Abstract
In this article we argue that the disruptive social implications of
skill-replacing technological innovations are determined neither by
human characteristics, such as “low skills” or “low cognition,” nor
by task characteristics, such as “routine,” as it is typically assumed
in the predominant economics and management science literature, but by
the cybernetic characteristics of the innovations. We also propose that
the negative effects of technological disruptions on human well-being
cannot be fully understood without the use of a transdisciplinary
approach involving cybernetics science and occupational science, and
that it is urgent that policymakers look beyond their narrow effects on
productivity and on the labor force, and consider instead the complexity
of the interactions between cybernetic technologies and meaningful human
occupations. We offer as an example the case of the fast adoption of
online food delivery services and of remote work technologies during the
COVID-19 pandemic. Ethical implications are derived from the arguments.