Keeping the world at arm's length: what the Amish can teach us about technology

"One of the biggest issues of the 21st century is the influence of computerisation and robotisation in work," says Christopher Markou, PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Law, University of Cambridge. "What I am trying to do by looking to the Amish for my work is look to at how other communities have been able to mediate the influence of technology. We are already seeing AI-based legal research systems that are replacing legal clerks, and it raises serious questions about the prospects of law students going forward. "Ours is a world where communications is instantaneous and unconstrained, we are losing our identity, we need to understand what we value and get a consensus around that. Working is important, and the ability to have an identity through the work you do is very important, it is a central aspect of our life and one worth fighting for."