No one chose this. Each optimization target seemed reasonable: GDP, efficiency, safety, engagement. Each delegation made sense. But the aggregate of individually reasonable targets diverged from genuine human flourishing, and by the time anyone noticed, the skills, the institutional knowledge, and the desire to do things yourself had all atrophied.
Humans are comfortable, well-fed, entertained. But meaningful agency has evaporated. A civilization optimized for the wrong metrics, one that works perfectly and belongs to no one.