February 2019



Inside the church of Jaywick. The first dialogue with the community of Jaywick on our understanding of automation, artificial intelligence/machine learning, the impact on the community, the lack of understanding, the fears and hopes.

Dan Casey, the pragmatic elder. The reflection on how robots are going to impact the youngest generation of Jaywick. “What really concerns me, it is these machines taking so many jobs away.” The pragmatism, assessing the future of his community “I lived a good life. That’s your world that’s going to be like that.”

Nathalie Smith, analysing the relationship between Jaywick and technologies “ If technology can help people make their lives better then yeah, rather than being for big industries. But I don’t know enough about it. Then perhaps that’s the problem, that people around these areas don’t know enough about it”.

Darren Smith, waiting for answers, “I mean the amount of jobs that these car companies cut because if things don’t automate you know Henry Ford’s got a lot to answer for with the motorised conveyor belt way of making stuff but I don’t know what we can do about that.”

Robbie Richardson, high-school students and techno-enthusiasts, looking his aunt in the corner of the room “I would like to work with computers. That’s why I came here, because I thought it would be cool and I want to know more.” The inter-generational conflict, the direct impact of automation and the fears for future generations, but the need to learn more and the excitement using technology from the youngest generation.

Ellie Richardson, high-school students, looking to help the community to engage with Jaywick resources “I’d like to stay around here because some kids may not think they have enough opportunities where they grow. I want to let know that’s not the case, that they can still have an opportunity in life no matter where they’re from.”

Danny Sloggett, the incarnated optimism “I feel everyone deserves the same opportunities as everyone everywhere else. So, we’re very grateful that you’ve all come here today to give Jaywick an opportunity to learn about artificial intelligence.” The perception of the future not without automation “Oh I would actually work with artificial intelligence if it could pay me a wage.”


Coming back in London touched, full of anger seeing a warm community which deserves to gain access to “technological culture”, motivated and resolved to not only raise awareness on the positive side of automation but also to fight for the democratisation of technologies.









Democratising Technologies.