What is it about?
This article examines the enduring relevance of analog practices amid accelerating AI integration. The case study of a Scottish distillery illustrates how material tools such as handwritten logs support shared understanding, cognitive engagement, and continuity of craft. Drawing on HCI research, we argue that analog methods are not nostalgic relics but vital mediums that shape how people think, collaborate, and create meaning. The essay invites reflection on when—and why—certain human practices should resist full digitization.
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Why is it important?
As the pace of AI development grows, it is important to understand the value of analog practices, ensuring that we preserve the human attention, creativity, and contextual judgment that technology alone cannot replicate.
Perspectives
My hope is that this article spurs critical thinking around the value of analog tools and analog artifacts, especially in the workplace. I believe that such tools have a rightful place in modern workflows. Organizations should carefully consider when digitization and data collection are truly necessary, rather than pursuing data for its own sake. Writing things down introduces slowness and intentionality into the process, qualities that deserve to be preserved in an increasingly automated world.
Tiffany Knearem
Mohammed Bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Why Analog Tools Still Matter in an AI World, interactions, October 2025, ACM (Association for Computing Machinery),
DOI: 10.1145/3769124.
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