This morning I stood in front of our Konica Minolta Bizhub 250 Digital Photocopier, and entered the parameters of my scan. I wanted the machine to scan using the "Text and Photo" setting, I wanted it to darken the output a little bit and I wanted the machine to e-mail the scan to my company e-mail account.
Each time I set a parameter the machine made a beeping sound. It seemed like it was beeping a lot. This caused me to think that it would be convenient to have an interface portal installed in/on my head whereas I could wirelessly instruct the photocopier to do as I wished without having to press all those buttons. It would take much less time to perform the task, making me more productive.
This interface could be used on many different tasks. The keyboard on my computer could be eliminated. Perhaps I would not even need to use the steering wheel and foot pedals in my automobile. It boggles the mind to think about all that could be done with this interface.
As I contemplated the benefits of this interface I also began to think about the negative aspects of this interface. Star Trek introduced the Borg. The Borg were all inter-connected with mechanical, mental interfaces that allowed them to meet challenges quickly and in a synchronized way. This gave the Borg huge advantages in conflicts with other galactic powers. They could conquer their enemies and then assimilate them into the Borg.The downside was that the individual Borg lost their individuality. This contributed to the Borg sometimes acting rigidly and without imagination. This, of course, allowed Captain Picard to defeat, at least for now, the Borg.
Hopefully as these interfaces are created, as I think they will be, we will take into consideration the potential problems and avoid becoming Borg.
In the meantime you can find me in front of the copy machine pushing buttons and listening to the machine beep.