An expanded model adding two crucial dimensions to the basic framework. Axis 1: Hard-Soft (physical vs. informational). Axis 2: Consumer-Industrial (individual vs. systemic use). Axis 3: Enabling-Replacing (augments human capacity vs. replaces human function). Axis 4: Transparent-Opaque (understandable operation vs. black-box complexity). These four axes create sixteen technology-types. A hand tool is hard, consumer, enabling, transparent. AI is soft, industrial (mostly), replacing, opaque. Social media is soft, consumer, replacing (of attention), opaque. Medical devices vary across all axes. The 4 Axes reveal that debates about technology—is it good? is it safe? is it controllable?—depend heavily on where a technology sits on these spectra.
The 4 Axes of the Technology Spectrum "You're worried about AI replacing jobs, but you're fine with calculators. The 4 Axes show why: calculators are enabling (they help you calculate), transparent (you understand how they work). AI is replacing (it does the thinking) and opaque (you don't know why it decides). Same axis, different positions—huge difference in effect."
by Dumu The Void February 25, 2026
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