Few people would argue with the statement that tech has pervaded almost every aspect of our modern lives, whether it’s our jobs, relationships, health, methods of transportation, media consumption, food, or the places we call home. And while all of this tech can enable us to do so many things, it can also make us mere humans feel a lot more vulnerable.
That’s the theme we’re focused on in the second season of Next Level, a Verge video series on innovation. Over the past several weeks, we’ve been in production for the new season, taking a close look not only at the tech’s impact on the human experience, but also at the humans who are impacted by that tech. We’re getting ready to launch this season on November 7th.
In the first season of Next Level, The Verge’s senior tech editor Lauren Goode showed us what it’s like to be in a modular plane, took a dose of prescription video games, learned how Hollywood is using sensors to gauge our emotions, and got nerdy with light field display technology. It was all about next-level concepts and the stuff that makes the technology industry tick — stuff that sometimes doesn’t come to fruition, but has the potential to drastically change an industry if it does work.
This season, we’re emphasizing what all of this means for the people who use this technology, whether it’s an exoskeleton for the elderly, a system that locates drones flying over disaster areas, or a holographic studio that makes time capsules of small children — or of people who have a devastating story to tell. We’re poking at the artificial intelligence beast, taking a closer look at digital health, and questioning how tech impacts the human experience.
Because tech shouldn’t just exist for the sake of tech, or for the sake of companies who make it. It should exist for the people who use it. People like you.
That’s why we’re exploring this theme in season 2 of Next Level — and that’s why we want to hear from you about the tech topics that you have the most questions about. Leave us your comments below, and be sure to check out the first episode on November 7th.