The Human Assumption, #21

As we look toward the future, one fact is already unavoidable: the world is not merely changing faster—it is operating faster and differently. Speed is persistent. Automation is required. Verification is demanded. Consequences are no longer reversible or private.

Yet beneath all of this acceleration, our systems—economic, organizational, legal, and civic—still rest on an ancient and inherited assumption:

• A human will be there.

• A human to notice when something matters.

• A human to judge what to do next.

• A human to accept responsibility when outcomes cause harm.

• A human to explain decisions in a way other humans can accept as legitimate.

This assumption about humans is so ...