Warning against the Artificial Intelligence (AI) being developed “without sufficient thought and attention to moral principles” as well as the danger about the “AI creating its own values” , “the only unifying idea left for humanity in a rapidly developing world of machines and technology is the awareness of its biological essence”, said writer and humanist Yuval Noah Harari in a live session at “Connected 2024: Reimagining the Future” Conference, which took place at the Palace of Independence in Astana, Kazakhstan on 18 October 2024.
Referring to AI or Alien Intelligence as “foreign”, he emphasized that decisions made by such an inorganic entity are fundamentally different than human beings or animals and would not be “suitable” for organic beings. “I think we need to remind ourselves in the 21st century of our biological essence, which is common to all. We must ensure that the world is suitable for organic beings. We should not allow inorganic beings to seize this, create their own timelines, and take control of the world,” affirmed the bestselling author of Sapiens, Homo Deus and Nexus.
Underlining that “social media is the first serious encounter of humans with artificial intelligence”, he explained that the most important news platforms, such as TikTok, X, Facebook and YouTube, are largely directed by AI, which “does not concern itself with values or truth”, having an objective to “increase audience engagement”.
“And what has this AI discovered through trial and error, experimenting on millions or billions of human ‘lab rats’? It found that it is very easy to capture attention and keep a person on the platform longer by spreading fake news, conspiracy theories, hatred, greed, and fear, because such content actively attracts us”, he went on, adding that “we are witnessing a decline in rational discourse worldwide because decisions are being made by AI, which is in no way connected to human morals or principles”.
“AI can begin to invent new types of values across all spheres — from financial systems to religion. We need to understand now what will happen to governments and human society when people lose control over such essential elements as political or financial systems,” Harari noted.
Stressing that mistakes made during the industrialization era, such as the rise of totalitarian regimes aiming at total control over politics and society with figures like Stalin and Hitler, should not be repeated, Harari flagged that “Technology itself is not an evil. The problem is that we do not know how to build a quality society based on the use of AI”.
He also stated that he does not believe in fundamental contradictions between people, nations, and countries that are impossible to overcome, comparing isolated tribes of the Stone Age to the more connected people of today: According to the futurist, over 10,000 years of history, people found ways to bridge their differences and learned to cooperate with outsiders. “Today, co-operation extends beyond national borders. In a sense, we are talking about a global network that includes all 8 billion people on the planet,” concluded Harari.
In the panel that followed Harari’s intervention, Tibetan lama and master Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche (Nepal) gave a similar message, stressing that universal values, such as peace, could unite the East and West in their quest for sustainable development in these challenging times of political instability and growing inequalities. Serik Tolukpayev, entrepreneur, investor, and founder of the AITAS holding in Kazakhstan commented that “fighting one’s ego would be the first step in reaching UN Sustainable Development Goals worldwide” while youth activist Jakhini Bisselink from Whetston think tank in the Netherlands noted that a new generation of leaders should be supported by EQ leadership in order to fight increasing climate anxiety in the world.
The conference saw the participation of 2000 delegates from over 20 countries, including Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Tamara Duisenova; humanist Gerd Leonhard; Nobel laureate in green economy Rae Kwon Chung; President of the Association of Futurists and foresight advisor to the European Commission Tanya Schindler; professor at the University of Oxford and author of the bestseller The Silk Road: A New History of the World Peter Frankopan; Green Goddess of China and advocate for green development Peggy Liu; Stanford University professor and author of AI courses Younes Bensouda; and bestselling author and first editor-in-chief of WIRED magazine David Rowan.
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