Automaticity: Finding the humanity in automation

The author, a preschool teacher and social sciences researcher, challenges the notion that automation is anti-human by arguing that it's actually about developing efficiency and automaticity in tasks, which is a fundamental human need. The author draws on theories of human development, such as information processing capacity and consolidation, to explain how practice and repetition help individuals develop automaticity, leading to better performance and more efficient use of cognitive resources. The author also discusses the benefits of automation in education, expertise development, and tool creation, highlighting its potential to free up space for higher-order thinking and creativity.