This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

Pattie Maes argues that we have become cyborgs: we have become inseparable from our phones and other devices and increasingly rely on them for many aspects of our daily lives. She continues that the way we interact with these devices today is far from ideal resulting in loss of attention, frequent multitasking, and short attention spans. The solution according to Maes is to embrace the fact that we are cyborgs, but at the same time, radically redesign the whole human-machine interaction so that our devices become a more seamless extension of ourselves that augments us and assists us in becoming the person we want to be.

Pattie Maes is the a Professor at the MIT Media Lab and head of the Program in Media Arts and Sciences. She directs the Media Lab's Fluid Interfaces group which researches new interfaces and experiences for human-machine interaction. Her areas of expertise are human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence. Maes is the editor of three books,and is an editorial board member and reviewer for numerous professional journals and conferences.