The sky is falling. Again.
An invitation to join in a continual dialogue attempting to identify and constrain A.I. to a safe place, among safe humans.
I agree with Harari’s assumption of the strong version of the Sapir Whorf hypothesis of linguistic relativity. Language, logic, and mathematical models are provisional, socially constructed meshes (more recently, corporate constructed definitions) through which we understand ... and partially predict and manipulate ... our otherwise unfiltered flood of reality. Jill Bolte Taylor’s TED talk is a moving neurological angle on this.
But "gods are something we have created by language"? I will have to think of that, if for no other reason then because of the Jungian / Taoist / pantheist / animist etc. concept of 'god' as a metaphor for nature in its entirety. Or, though blunt by specialists’ terms, ‘god’ or ‘love’ through Jill’s description of the main function of our brain’s right hemisphere.
Although I read "Sapiens" a few years ago, I might have to go back and verify whether he is a material reductionist ... or leans closer to transcendent emergence. I suspect the former, which will not be good for we mere peasants.
Like Harari, I am also fearful of the exponential increase in A.I. capabilities. But after a first listen to this, I find myself wondering if his narrative of fear is similar to how the fear of exclusion (identity politics), fear of a pandemic, fear of climate change, and so on ... inevitably must move us to a globalist, totalitarian state as envisioned by the likes of Klaus Schwab, the WEF, or WHO?
I hear no references to the ravages of even the most recent totalitarians … Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot. Does he not share an equal fear of their psychopathy? Or is he immune to collateral damage by virtue of membership in ‘the big club’? (Thank you Saint George Carlin).
Through his framing of the message, might he be egging … uh … “nudging” … the chickens among us to demand the fox to guard the hen house?
A more compelling argument, but with a similar-to-unknown conclusion …
Uh oh.
41:20 ... "Greed and stupidity will mark the end of the human race." — Stephen Hawking
I think that's an astute observation, Steve. And as JAT Robinson, a 17th century Anglican theologian said, "God is, by definition, ultimate reality. It's pointless to ask if reality exists. The question is what reality is like." According to Harari, he is god and has created reality with words. I think reality exists independent of our words about it. We need the left brain to put words to say what it's like, but the right brain already knows.
I agree that we have to be wary of fear mongering from the very people who are creating the problem in the first place. We already have a New World Order, it seems to me. A centralised world run by a few via the UN, WHO, WEF etc. Global corporations and institutions telling governments what to do.
What is the next stage? Apparently a 4th Industrial Revolution according to them. But is there going to be enough energy to power what they are talking about? Cheap oil is in the past and that might be the driver to stop us driving and to reduce the world's population.
AI might be a thing that takes jobs and keeps us in our homes more (or prisons) but I imagine we will be living frugal lives under small national governments reporting in to the very same people who are currently running the show. To save energy, there will be fewer of us and we may have to take some of their psychedelics to realise that not only do we own nothing, but we are happy!