Item — HN Reader

I wouldn't see it that way. When the telephone came out, there was a burst of, "Well, that's it for people visiting each other in person!"

I didn't read this as him saying, "We won't learn new languages," but rather, "We won't be forced to, and learning a new language is a wonderful thing. In our gain, let's not lose sight of what we're losing."

2 comments

Star Trek imagines that even in an age where computers have universal translators, people will still learn languages for "personal development" purposes, or to honor their ancestry, or simply to not have to rely on a computer for a regular activity. Ideally, the translation ability of AI should make it easier for us to practice conversations in new languages, and actually encourage more language learning through total immersion without having to travel to a country where that language is the primary.

Whether Star Trek is aspirational or inspirational, I guess we'll have to see.

> When the telephone came out, there was a burst of, "Well, that's it for people visiting each other in person!"

Well, they were completely right, just a century or so off on the timeline…