Proper planning

New products unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show included an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled bathroom mirror. Instead of telling us who is the fairest of them all, it critically analyses the observer’s face and recommends a treatment regime and products to improve their appearance. It is also possible to get AI-assisted ‘smart fridges’, which can recognise their contents, recommend meals and order missing ingredients. Do we really need these items? Or do they only appear because the new technology is able to do it? I know I would not want to delegate the food shopping to a fridge and I would not have the time or money to implement a regime recommended by the bathroom mirror.

The downsides of the prevalence of technology are that we are bombarded with information regardless of its quality, we are pressured to respond quickly and make choices that we would otherwise not have expended energy on and we are at the mercy of whatever a software developer or algorithm generator thinks we need.

I have fallen foul of these downsides recently. Software is ‘upgraded’ and useful features are suddenly made less accessible or are removed altogether. I have had many an argument with the sat nav, either because of the need to quickly reconcile information from the device with that on road signs while concentrating on driving with traffic coming from every direction, or because of the need to understand the programmed language used and potential dissonance with my own embedded terminology. In this latter case, I was being told to go past the first junction and leave at the next one, instead of being told to go past the first exit on to the slip road (at this motorway junction) and leave at the second exit on to the slip road. Luckily, following my own understanding of junctions did not lead to much of a diversion.

There have been many studies on the impact of modern technology on people. Easy access to information is replacing our ability to remember facts and possibly making our memories worse. We have become sensitised to distractions, so we are looking at information superficially before moving on to something else. We are persuaded that the technology helps us to multitask, which is a fallacy. Distractions while trying to multitask have occasionally led to me finding unsent emails or instant messages when logging off for the evening.

Before you paint me with the Luddite brush, please be aware that I started out using logarithm tables and graduated via slide rules, early calculators, punch card programming, terminals, tape reels, floppy discs, desktops, windows, hard drives and USBs to smart phone apps. I have never tried to be an early adopter but do try to use the tools available to help with both work and personal life, while trying to maintain a balance.

I have always made lists of different sorts from the time I was at school. This has become more important in order to keep track of the myriad issues that need addressing. I still use a pen and notebook to keep track of what I am doing: writing it down helps fix it better in my memory. However, it is not always easy to go back to something, even though you can visualise where on the page you put it. My paper notebooks are ordered by date but do not have search facilities. Written, linear task lists quickly become untidy and unwieldy, just like email inboxes, making it harder to prevent items dropping through the cracks. I have long used mind maps for ordering thoughts and planning work and presentations and I have also found mind-mapping software particularly useful for keeping track of actions. The ability to send emails to the mind map helps even more. Notebook software, on both laptops and phones, complements my paper notebooks and is particularly useful for easily accessible recording of key information and its location on my computer. The name and place are logical when saving but not so much when you are trying to recall them.

All of the above has relevance to the application of non-destructive testing (NDT) and human factors. It is important to understand the impact of technology, both NDT-specific and more general, on the individual and the reliable application of NDT and the recording and reporting of results. Then, the appropriate tools to better augment the individual and the tasks can be selected. It is also important to remember that new technology does not necessarily make good practice redundant. If I had spent time planning and preparing for my journey instead of relying on technology and past experience, I could have had a more relaxing trip.

Please note that the views expressed in this column are the author’s own personal ramblings for the purpose of encouraging discussion within NDT News. They do not represent the views of Jacobs or BINDT.

Letters can be mailed to The Editor, NDT News, Midsummer House, Riverside Way, Bedford Road, Northampton NN1 5NX, UK. Email: ndtnews@bindt.org or email Bernard McGrath direct at bernard.mcgrath1@jacobs.com