Rewilding
Restoring control of technology
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Friends,
On occasion, a concatenation of related articles hit me in one week. And so I want to point you to three somewhat linked pieces.
We Need To Rewild The Internet discusses the current state of the internet, likening it to a fragile monoculture that has become centralised and controlled by a few tech giants. It parallels this situation with historical scientific forestry practices in Germany, which led to an ecological collapse due to the simplification and over-exploitation of forests.
The premise is that the internet needs to be "rewilded" — restored to a state of healthy diversity and complexity through lessons from ecology. Unlike my garden, which appears a tad wild already, this involves breaking up monopolies, fostering interoperability, and supporting diverse, resilient technological ecosystems. It’s an argument that’s akin to a reboot, to starting again. The piece calls for a systemic approach to revitalising the internet, emphasizing the need for new regulatory frameworks, open standards, and a shift from extractive practices to ones that support the collective good and maintain the Internet as a dynamic, generative platform.
Jared Lanier has made much of an impression on me over the years and in a piece from 2014, he makes key arguments from the past about the world that we are in now. Given that this was a time before ChatGPT and generative AI, it’s prescient. He traces the long history of comparing computers to living beings, beginning with the inception of computing technology and even earlier. The narrative highlights a persistent subculture in the tech world that not only equates algorithms with life but also embraces the notion that computers will eventually surpass human intelligence and take over. This belief has caused significant unease and sparked reactionary fears about the existential threats posed by AI - similar to what we have seen for the last 5 years.
Lanier draws parallels between this phenomenon and historical instances where societies were manipulated under the guise of higher purposes, likening the modern exploitation of data and the contributions of numerous unrecognized individuals to the digital economy to historical religious or elite-driven exploitation. This comparison is used to critique the modern digital economy, suggesting that it benefits a new class of elites while exploiting the contributions of the general population.
And to some degree, this has all come true.
We feel we need to go back because we are not clear about the road ahead.
These revert to core themes around AI: Exploring ethical implications, regulatory oversight, demystification, economic equity, and safe AI research are therefore essential for shaping a responsible and beneficial digital future - Some thinking we have around AI is because we know what has happened before with the advent of Web 2.0.
The reasons why people are scared of AI are because of a loss of control - because of a supposed existential risk that we haven’t seen before, things that are incomprehensible to humans today. And all this turns into how it might change our daily lives - from moving our cheese and stealing our jobs, to the ethical nature of judging us based on prejudiced rules. Couple this with surveillance and how we become even more tied to technology, we start to see why we feel that we need to “rewild our technology”. The reason is this - the further we move towards advancement, the more control we see by others.
We are fast moving towards a place where our skills are deteriorating and where we will start becoming dependent on AI support.
So it’s time to rewild, to spread control - to think deeply about ethics about the societal shift that might prioritise efficiency over our values.
And once you have read those two pieces, please ponder this one about brain waves.
Stay Curious - and don’t forget to be amazing,
Here are my recommendations for this week:
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Now
On Failure: A reminder from Denzel Washington. Do you believe in ghosts?
The truth about protein: how to get enough – at every age. Is your protein smoothie coupled with a few eggs enough? We need protein to build muscle, produce hormones, regulate mood and appetite, and strengthen bones. But how much, and what kind, should you eat every day? Related: Is filtered water healthier than tap water?
The 100 Most Influential People of 2024. I don’t know most of them, but nice to see Burna Boy on the same list as Jensen Huang and Satya Nadella Related: Diddy’s Open Secrets - what Diddy do?
How the Food Industry Pays Influencers to Shill Blueberries, Butter, and More, It’s the new Got Milk? for the social media era. Related: Insatiable: A Life Without Eating also: These foods don't deserve their bad reputations, dietitians and doctors say
You're Probably 'Fexting' In Your Relationship. Is it Healthy Or Not? There are many reasons people 'fext,' but is it detrimental? Therapists weigh in. Waiting for Mrs H to get passive-aggressive on WhatsApp any second now.
Next
Meta’s battle with ChatGPT begins now: Meta’s AI assistant is being put everywhere across Instagram, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Meanwhile, the company’s next major AI model, Llama 3, has arrived.
Measuring trends in AI: The AI Index report tracks, collates, distills, and visualizes data related to artificial intelligence (AI). Unbiased, rigorously vetted, broadly sourced data in order for policymakers, researchers, executives, journalists, and the general public to develop a more thorough and nuanced understanding of the complex field of AI. Worth it for the 1 minute top ten.
Should We Change Species to Save Them? When traditional conservation fails, science is using “assisted evolution” to give vulnerable wildlife a chance.
Atlas shrugged: Boston Dynamics retires its hydraulic humanoid robot: Atlas retirement is less about endings than new beginnings. Most likely, the hulking humanoid is gracefully stepping out of the way of whatever is coming next for the firm.
Limitless is a new AI tool for your meetings — and an all-hearing wearable gadget. At first, Limitless hopes to be a way to prep for and remember the stuff you talk about at work. Eventually, it plans to do much more. (Ive started using the app for meetings)
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