Masterclass on Emerging Literacies
To discuss the impact of Big Data and AI on human liberty and decision-making.
- B = Biological knowledge
- C = Computing power
- D = Data
- AHH! = The ability to hack humans
Key Takeaways
The Human Hacking Formula (b x c x d = ahh): The convergence of Biological knowledge, Computing power, and Data creates algorithms that can understand and manipulate humans better than we understand ourselves, eroding free will.
AI's Ethical Advantage: AI can make more consistent ethical decisions than humans. It can be programmed to follow rules (like Kant) with the precision of an expert (like Schumacher), overcoming human biases and emotional failures.
The Pendulum Swings to Dictatorship: AI makes centralized data processing vastly more efficient. This could reverse the 20th-century advantage of democracies, enabling 21st-century digital dictatorships with total surveillance and control.
The Teacher's New Role: Teachers must shift from information processors to thought-provokers, preparing students for a future where philosophy and critical thinking are essential skills for navigating AI's ethical and societal challenges.
Topics
The Human Hacking Formula
The formula b x c x d = ahh (Biological knowledge + Computing power + Data = Algorithms) creates systems that can understand and manipulate humans better than we understand ourselves.
This erodes free will, as feelings are revealed to be hackable biochemical algorithms for survival, not a source of ultimate authority.
Authority is shifting from human feelings to big data algorithms, making governments and traditional systems increasingly irrelevant.
The Erosion of Human Decision-Making
Over-reliance on AI (e.g., Google Maps) atrophies human skills like navigation, leading to incidents like the Japanese tourists driving into the ocean.
AI could soon make major life decisions (careers, relationships) more effectively than humans, rendering traditional concepts like free markets and democratic elections obsolete.
This future requires a new model for human life, as it ceases to be a "drama of decision-making."
AI's Ethical Advantage: The Schumacher-Kant Team
AI can make more consistent ethical decisions than humans, who often fail to act on their principles under pressure.
Example: The Princeton Theological Seminary experiment showed students, despite discussing the "Good Samaritan" parable, ignored a person in distress when told they were late for a lecture.
AI can be programmed to follow ethical guidelines without emotion or instinct, creating a "Schumacher-Kant team" (driving skill + philosophical ethics).
This transforms ethical theory into a practical engineering problem, where philosophers could be sued for the real-world consequences of their code.
The Threat of Digital Dictatorship
The real danger of AI is not rebellion, but blind obedience to its human masters.
Military Application: Killer robots could prevent atrocities driven by human emotion (e.g., My Lai massacre) but would also execute ruthless orders without hesitation (e.g., Srebrenica).
Surveillance Risk: Powerful surveillance algorithms enable total control.
Example: The Israeli security forces' use of AI in the West Bank, where a translation error led to a Palestinian's arrest.
Authoritarian Advantage: AI makes centralized data processing vastly more efficient.
Example: A government that mandates sharing all medical data could gain a decisive advantage in research over societies that protect privacy.
This could reverse the 20th-century advantage of democracies, leading to a "digital dictatorship" where resistance is impossible.
The Teacher's New Role
Teachers must shift from information processors to thought-provokers, preparing students for a future where philosophy and critical thinking are essential.
Key Takeaways for Educators:
Philosophy is a science: The humanities/science distinction is obsolete; philosophy is now a practical skill for engineering ethical AI.
Decisions for the greater good: AI's ability to make consistent ethical choices highlights the need for humans to define and prioritize collective well-being.
Harari is a futurist: His 12-year-old predictions are becoming reality, demonstrating the urgency for educators to prepare students for a future that is already arriving.
Next Steps
Sandeep Dutt: Continue the reading of 21 Lessons for the 21st Century in the next masterclass (Aug 29, 5:30 PM).
All Participants:
Reflect on the session's themes, especially the BCD=AHH formula and the ethical implications of AI.
Consider attending Brinda Ma'am's new book club for Educated by Tara Westover (starting Aug 29, 3:30 PM).
FATHOM AI assisted post.
