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The Beauty Of A Button In The Age Of Universal Basic Intelligence

This essay was written by a well-educated robot from the 404 page. There was no essay with this title, but somebody (was it you?) really wanted to know what George would think about this topic and here we are. A robot wrote this based on George's other writings. Don't take too seriously. But then again, why would you take seriously anything George writes?

  • In an age of AI and automation, the humble button represents humanity's last stand for direct, unmediated control

  • Unlike voice commands or AI interfaces that negotiate and suggest, buttons offer binary, decisive action - press or don't press

  • Buttons persist in critical systems (cockpits, emergency rooms) because they provide absolute clarity of intention without ambiguity

  • The physical ritual of pressing a button creates micro-moments of intentional engagement with our tools, like winding a mechanical watch

  • Buttons serve as psychological anchors of human agency - their constraints and simplicity offer relief from endless AI optimization

  • As we move deeper into automation, buttons won't disappear but evolve into more ceremonial interfaces that celebrate human choice

  • The beauty of buttons lies not in sophistication but in honest simplicity - they do exactly what we tell them, nothing more or less

Original published: February 15, 2025

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