Since the first Industrial Revolution in England, the world has never been the same. In just a few centuries, humanity has progressed in a way history had never seen before, all thanks to the development and advancement of technology and how people integrate it into daily life. In the 21st century, it is almost impossible for anyone to deny the benefits technology bring to humans; another way to say this is that humans have become dependent to the machines. Despite the benefits, there are concerns about how technologies would destroy "the garden" where humans find comfort and rest, as noted by Leo Marx, a cultural historian in his book in 1964. That is a valid concern, but after more than half a century, it is safe to say this concern of the historian has been resolved. It is possible to create a harmonious balance between the benefits of the machine and the perserved beauty of the Earth because humans have always been working hard to ensure best benefits for them and for the environment.

To start, it is necessary to acknowledge that technology has advanced to a level even Leo Marx would not be able to imagine. Society of the 21st century is a society of mobile electronic devices and artificial intelligence. Thanks to companies like Apple, Microsoft, or IBM, computers now exist in every single household in the United States, in the hands of almost every single person. Teachers use computers. Students use computers. They serve as the replacement for the traditional pen-and-paper, and then letters, and then calendar, and then... everything. Thanks to the computers and eventually cellular devices such as smartphones, humanity has redefined communication and productivity. As the world depends more on software, the demand for computer programmers also goes up. And this is where artificial intelligence comes to play, to actually proves how "the machine amplifies human power and labor." Artificial intelligence like GitHub Copilot has the ability to produce lines of code based on not just the prompts but also the context of the project and the code. Thanks to the help of artificial intelligence, people see software being created quickly, graphics being designed fast, and lots of different things that would usually require a lot of human labor in the past. And all the things named above exist alongside with what have been there in the past: cars, airplanes, factories, etc. The world of today depends on machines, it is undeniable, and irreversible. Machines exist with the intentions to make a better world for all.

But just like any era in history, there are always concerns about innovations, especially technological innovations. And they have the reason to concern. Reports and studies from the recent years have all pointed out that the natural ozone layer in the North Pole is being teared larger and larger every year, and it it because humans could not limit their dependence on machines, and limit what their "artificial" things do to the environment. The growing of artificial intelligence, while it is true that it helps amplify human power, labor and wealth, it does not come for free. Many studies have pointed out that the servers used for artificial intelligence are consuming a lot of energy, while also creating a lot of heat, which is concerning because global warming in the recent years is already bad enough. And as a result, some oppositions call people to stop using artificial intelligence in the name of protecting the environment. They have a good mindset, but at the same time they do not acknowledge what companies have been doing to protect the "garden" of humanity. The CEO of OpenAI, one of the biggest artificial intelligence companies, once revealed that one person saying "thank you" could cost billions of dollars in order to cool down the over-demanded servers. Even though the amount of money used for it is large, but it is still in good use if it helps protect the environment. If the cooling function is not there, global warming would be more concerning due to the heat of not just the servers for the artificial intelligence, but also for a lot of websites and services that are running to serve people. Looking throughout history, people have always been concerned about the impact of new innovations to the environment. Back in the time when factories were just created, people just literally released the waste into the air as smoke, and into the river or ocean. For decades that were the norms. But fortunately, humanity cares about its survival, and as a result, governments come up with regulations to prevent it, or at least limit it. Governments also come together, creating conventions and treaties as attempts to heal the world and make it a better place for everyone. And then there are concerns that devices would take away connections between people, and activities would no longer be the same. But looking back, the world is still spinning as it always is. Technology even brings the world closer. Yes it is true that concerns still exist in many ways, but at the same time it would be unfair to say that people do not know how to balance between growing technology and protecting the garden where people can enjoy the fresh air and relax, because people have been doing it, and the results show. Just look at the United States of today. Even though cars and electronic devices are everywhere, it is still easy to catch sights of humans walking in the green park and having a fun, healthy time. Even when broadcasting become easier than ever, which is a triumph of technology, people still come together in stadiums and enjoy the moments, which is the triumph of both machines (for bringing people there at ease) and entertainment. "The garden" and "the machine" coexist. Humans and technology coexist.

The world of the 21st century has proven Leo Marx's concern to be untrue: "the garden" is still there, people still enjoy life as they have always been, now with the integration of technology which makes it more vibrant, easy, and productive. In the years to come, people would see more and more of how technology would be integrated into life for a better future.