Computers are encroaching on human experts in every subject and discipline, and they will continue to do so at an accelerating pace. As computer proficiency increases, trust in human expertise diminishes. Google has been the default knowledge authority for decades. Th is alone has reduced the dependency on experts. Every time someone says, “Google it,” they are saying that technology is a more reliable source of information on that subject at that moment than any available person.

Technology has many distinct advantages over human experts. For example, people get tired and go to sleep, but technology is always alert, always on, and always available. People can be in only one place at one time, but technology is omnipresent. People can do only one thing at a time and serve only one audience at a time, but technology scales infinitely. People make mistakes and are inconsistent, but technology gets the same answer every time. People forget, but technology remembers. People are cruel, but technology is impartial. People die, but technology is immortal.