Computer revolution qualitatively more radical
Computers are qualitatively different from the technological sources of previous historical revolutions (eg: books, the printing press, and radio) in that they can made decisions and create new ideas, including new inter-subjective realities, all on their own. Historical revolutions radically change our information processing networks, typically by strengthening or changing the connections between human-agents nodes. With computers, now have for the first time a change in the nodes themselves; computers can be active full-fledged agents in information processing networks. This is the first time there is participation in our inter-subjective reality (our culture) by an alien intelligence.
Follow-ups
- Example of making decision: Facebooks algorithm effectively curates material like a newspaper editor. Curation can be incredibly powerful, the bible was carefully curated list of texts.
- The genocide in Myanmar was the first in history that was, at least partially, the result of non-human intelligence.
- The whole point of AI is that it can learn things that humans never programmed into them
Links:
Why Now is interesting NowIsDifferent Nexus
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