The internet of things is the buzzword of the moment. Every tech company wants to get in on the action. The internet of things describes internet-connected devices and devices connected to one another. This can include smartphones, wearables, thermostats (like Nest) and internet-connected cars. The internet of things is increasing, and soon almost every imaginable device will be connected to the internet, and by extension, the internet of things. But is this going down the positive route of usefulness (like Star Trek’s world of communicators and medical devices) or down the suspicious, privacy-breaching route (like in the North Korea-resembling 1984 by George Orwell)?
The internet of things is a network of things, much like the national grid, or the London underground. It is a system of individual things connected together to create a greater whole. Everything is interlinked via the internet; much like the Underground is linked by train lines and the national grid by electricity lines.
While a plethora of devices are being invented due to the internet of things, many things are becoming obsolete. For example, alarm clocks are somewhat obsolete as there are alarms on our phones, smartwatches and other devices. In the longer term, many more things may become useless. For example, ordinary watches being replaced by smartwatches, timers and light switches being replaced by a vast system that controls home devices and landline phones ceasing to exist.
Basically, the internet of things makes everything ‘smart’. Like smartphones and smartwatches, there will also be smart fridges, smart washing machines and smart clothes.
But is this necessary? Is the marginal increase in usability worth it?
There are many positives of the internet of things. Among them is usefulness – such as being able to turn on the heating before you get home from work, or turn on the lights ready for your arrival. Another positive is health – such as internet connected pacemakers that monitor your heart rate, and devices for monitoring your baby’s heart rate and respiration. There is also the perk of easy access – easily accessible bank accounts, ease of transferring money to friends, paying contactless-ly, or using the internet of things to open your front door without having to find you keys.
However, there are problems. With a connected world comes restrictions and control. In a world full of webcams and recording devices, with dubious and long-winded terms and conditions, it is easy to see that privacy is compromised. It also means that, if everything is internet connected, then everything is susceptible to technical problems. If the internet is down, you can no longer use your connected toaster, your washing machine or even your car. Once you have become reliant on your internet of things, doing without it will seem difficult during power outages and internet difficulties.
The dream with the internet of things is the seamlessly connected, easy-use world of technology that helps us function. What we are dreaming of is something like the Starship Enterprise in Star Trek – with its food-generators, in-ship communication screens, holodecks and weapons. The Enterprise is much like an internet of things, with its inter-connected devices that serve their purpose to make the crew’s lives easier.
What it seems we are more likely to get is 1984. A world in which we are monitored everywhere we go, even in our own homes by our televisions and our computers and our phones. A world where our every move is tracked and we are controlled and blind-sided by powerful organisations. It is not difficult to imagine a world where corporations have information about us (Facebook) and governments spy on us (GCHQ). Corporations and government are in a position of power over us and our privacy. The internet of things only poses to make this problem worse.
The internet of things hopes to be helpful and useful, but instead it may end up being a hindrance that betrays our trust and fails to assist us in any way at all. So will we get Star Trek or 1984? Only time will tell.
