Ideas Why the power of technology relies on an adaptive mindset
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Aug 13, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Jane Freeman, the founding director of the University of Toronto's Graduate Centre for Academic Communication, reflects on the influential ideas of physicist Ursula Franklin. They explore how technology shapes our mindset, society, and politics, emphasizing that it is more than just a tool. Jane dives into the fragmentation of communication in the digital age and the importance of balancing tradition with tech advancements. The conversation also highlights the challenges of authenticity in AI-generated language, urging a reevaluation of rhetorical accountability.
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How Prescriptive Tech Restructures Work
- Prescriptive technologies fragment work into discrete steps, producing de-skilling and mandatory compliance.
- Fragmentation reduces reciprocity and accountability, shifting control to managers and owners.
Control Technologies And Divisible Benefits
- Franklin separates work-related technologies from control-related ones that primarily enable oversight.
- Infrastructure and public support often serve divisible corporate benefits over shared public goods.
Insist On Redemptive Technologies
- Demand technologies that reduce environmental harm and restore people to workplaces.
- Use triple accounting—money, people, ecology—to judge projects' true costs and benefits.
