Why Rush Technology?

I'm not a Luddite by any means, but I do caution the world in its insane rush into all things autonomous.  In the just last few years, we've seen the advent of self driving cars from every major automotive manufacturer, we've seen smart phones that are capable of more tasks than users are capable of controlling, we've seen robotics that are designed to replace human sexual relationships, and we've seen the rise of computer control of every single aspect of modern life from regulating refrigerator temperature to monitoring blood pressure. 

But is it a good thing?  There are wonderful and useful examples of technology embedded in our daily lives, and that's fine.  But why must all of this effort go into these kinds of - dare I say ridiculous - pursuits?  Convenience?  My watch can answer my phone as I ride to work in a self driving car, at the same time I'm being orally serviced by a fabulously beautiful human-like robot.  Now that scenario is something right out of a science fiction movie, but it is actually real and possible today.  But is it a good thing?

Have we as a society become so lazy that we can't do anything for ourselves anymore?  I can understand science and technology progressing for its own sake.  Ideas and concepts are built upon those that have gone before.  I get it.  But electronic banking?  Self driving cars?  Tire pressure sensors?  Robotic companions?  Virtual reality sex?  Why?  Just because we can?

I'd rather be hiking outdoors in the real

Maybe my main objection is the fact that every time we give up a sliver of control over our lives for mere convenience, we give up a sliver of control over our lives.  How many times has your computer failed and actually made more work for you?  My bank account is merely a series of zeros and ones.  Anyone nowadays can go and get my money any time.  But it's convenient to use a debit card instead of carrying cash; I might get robbed carrying cash, you know.  My smart phone watches me to see if I'm using the interface.  It tracks not only my movements, but my calls, messages and any links to the internet I may open.  Why?  Who needs to know where I am and what I read?   The answer to that is in the question.  Someone wants that information, and they will have it with or without my consent.

I am, however, an advocate for the self aware, intelligent and educated (as opposed to indoctrinated) adult.  I'm an advocate for self reliance and self sufficiency.  These are admirable characteristics in my view.  I'm an advocate for space exploration, for applied scientific and medical research and development, and for greater human evolution into the awareness that we live in a marvelous and wondrous universe that we barely understand or acknowledge.  We don't need to - and we shouldn't - exchange the existential reality of being for the nonsense of fabricated pseudo-technology.  It's my view that all these wonderful modern conveniences that have such a wow-factor are merely substitutes for reality.  And it's my view that they tend to erode the very humanistic traits that make us, well, human. Worse, nobody woke up one morning and decided that his watch should be able to fry his morning eggs; all this is merely product driven rather than consumer driven.

Philosophy aside, what happens when we rely on these things completely and they either become self aware, or they break down?  Or are controlled by nefarious actors?  We are at their mercy one way or the other.  Pretty scary, either scenario.  So let's think this through very carefully before we rush headlong into unproven and dicey technology.  It may make life easier and simpler when it all works as planned, I will stipulate that point.

But should we really bet our lives on it always working?