How AI Will Shape Humanity’s Future - Yuval Noah Harari
TLDRIn this interview, historian and bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari discusses the rapid pace of technological change and its impact on the future. He emphasizes that unlike previous generations, we face an unprecedented uncertainty about what the world will look like in 20 years. Harari also addresses the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, highlighting its ability to make independent decisions and create new ideas beyond human imagination. He stresses the importance of teaching young people how to deal with AI and challenges the notion that AI is merely an extension of ourselves. Harari's new book, 'Unstoppable Us,' aims to explain to children why the world isn't fair, suggesting that conflicts often stem from the stories we believe rather than tangible resources.
Takeaways
- 📚 Yuval Noah Harari is a historian, philosopher, and bestselling author known for his book 'Sapiens'.
- 🌟 Harari views history as the study of change and its relevance to the present and future.
- 🚀 There is a perception of accelerated technological change, which Harari believes is real and unprecedented.
- 🌐 The future is highly unpredictable, unlike in previous eras where the basics of human life were more stable.
- 🤖 AI is a significant focus of Harari's recent work, and he sees it as a potentially dangerous technology due to its autonomy.
- 🧠 AI is distinct from previous technologies because it can make decisions and create new ideas independently.
- 🎲 AI has demonstrated its ability to come up with new ideas, such as in the game of Go, surpassing human imagination.
- 📖 Harari's new book 'Unstoppable Us' is aimed at children aged 8 to 12, discussing the concept of fairness.
- 🌍 The world's conflicts often stem from the stories people believe, rather than objective needs or resources.
- 🕊️ Changing the stories we believe in can potentially resolve conflicts without violence.
- 📚 Harari emphasizes the importance of storytelling and its impact on human history and conflicts.
Q & A
How does Yuval Noah Harari define his field of study?
-Yuval Noah Harari defines his field as the study of history, but not as the study of the past. Instead, he sees it as the study of change and how things change, emphasizing its relevance to the present and future.
What is the main subject of Yuval Noah Harari's book 'Sapiens'?
-The main subject of 'Sapiens' is the entire history of humankind, exploring the development and evolution of Homo sapiens as a species.
How does Harari view the current pace of technological change?
-Harari believes that the current pace of technological change is unprecedented and that this time it's real, as no one can predict what the world will look like in 20 years.
What is Harari's perspective on the potential dangers of AI?
-Harari sees AI as extremely dangerous because it's the first technology that can make decisions and create new ideas independently, which is a power that we don't fully understand.
How does Harari differentiate AI from previous technologies?
-Harari differentiates AI by stating that while previous technologies were extensions of human capabilities, AI has the potential to become independent and create entirely new ideas not bound by human imagination.
What is an example of AI creating new ideas, according to Harari?
-Harari cites the game of Go as an example, where AI has developed new strategies and ways of playing that no human had ever imagined in the 3,000-year history of the game.
What is the main theme of Harari's new book 'Unstoppable Us'?
-The main theme of 'Unstoppable Us' is to address the concept of fairness, explaining to young readers that conflicts and injustices in the world often stem from the stories we believe in.
Why does Harari think conflicts are about stories rather than objective things?
-Harari argues that conflicts are about stories because humans are storytelling animals, and it's the imagined narratives in their minds that lead to conflicts, rather than objective resources like territory or food.
What is Harari's view on the potential for resolving conflicts?
-Harari believes that conflicts based on stories have the potential to be resolved through dialogue and changing the narrative, as opposed to conflicts over objective things which may require violence.
What age group is Harari's book 'Unstoppable Us' intended for?
-'Unstoppable Us' is intended for children aged eight to twelve.
How does Harari relate the concept of fairness to historical conflicts?
-Harari relates the concept of fairness to historical conflicts by explaining that major conflicts and injustices are often rooted in the stories people believe, which can be changed or negotiated upon.
Outlines
📚 Meeting Yuval Noah Harari
The segment begins with a warm welcome for Yuval Noah Harari, a historian, philosopher, and bestselling author of 'Sapiens.' Stephen Colbert expresses a sense of familiarity with Harari due to his extensive reading and viewing of interviews. Harari explains his approach to history as the study of change and its relevance to the present and future. The conversation shifts to the rapid pace of technological change, with Harari asserting that this generation is experiencing an unprecedented rate of change, unlike any before. He emphasizes the uncertainty of the future, a sentiment shared by every generation, but this time it's real, as no one can predict what the world will look like in 20 years. The discussion delves into the impact of AI, with Harari highlighting the dangers of giving power to something we don't fully understand, as AI can make decisions and create new ideas independently.
📖 Unstoppable Us and the Power of Stories
Yuval Noah Harari introduces his new book 'Unstoppable Us,' aimed at children aged eight to 12, addressing the concept of fairness in the world. He explains that conflicts and injustices often stem from the stories we believe in, rather than tangible resources. Harari uses the example of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to illustrate that disputes are not always about territory or food but about the narratives people hold. He suggests that since conflicts are based on stories, there is a possibility to resolve them through dialogue and finding a common narrative. The segment ends with a plug for Harari's new book, 'Unstoppable Us Volume Two,' which is available for purchase.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Sapiens
💡History
💡Technology
💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)
💡Change
💡Fairness
💡Stories
💡Imagination
💡Conflict
💡Unstoppable Us
💡Education
Highlights
Yuval Noah Harari, historian, philosopher, and bestselling author of 'Sapiens', discusses the study of history as the study of change.
Harari's recent focus has shifted from the past to the future, specifically the impact of technology.
He asserts that this generation is experiencing a rapid change in their technological environment unlike any before.
Harari believes that for the first time in human history, no one can predict what the world will look like in 20 years.
He emphasizes the importance of teaching young people how to deal with AI and its potential impact.
Harari warns of the dangers of AI, stating it's the first technology that can make decisions and create new ideas independently.
He provides examples of AI creating new ideas, such as in the game of Go, which has a 3,000-year-old tradition in East Asia.
Harari's new book, 'Unstoppable Us', aims to address the concept of fairness to children aged eight to 12.
He explains that conflicts are often about the stories people believe, rather than objective things.
Harari suggests that if conflicts are based on stories, there's a chance to resolve them through dialogue and changing the narrative.
He argues that AI is not just an extension of us, but can become potentially independent, which is a cause for concern.
Harari's perspective on AI is that it's not limited by organic biochemistry, unlike human imagination.
He believes that AI can create entirely new ideas that are not bound by the limits of our imagination.
Harari's discussion on the importance of stories in human conflict and the potential for resolving them through shared narratives.
He emphasizes that the world's conflicts are often about imagined stories, not tangible resources.
Harari's book 'Unstoppable Us' explores the idea that the world isn't fair and the stories we tell ourselves.
He suggests that by changing the stories we believe, we can potentially end conflicts without violence.
