Homo Deus: A brief history of tomorrow
As we race toward a high-tech future we increasingly remove consciousness from intelligence and in doing so render ourselves inessential to the future.
Harari looks at three possible paths we may take in the not so far future - one will destroy us, one will replace us, and one will create a new enhanced species - a blend of tech and human: Homo Deus.
Homo Deus is a look at where we are going as a species and what challenges await us. Whether you agree with Harari’s ideas or not there is no doubt that Homo Deus will make you think about our future and the type of world we might be living in very soon.
Harari extrapolates our current use of technology to its logical conclusion - there will come a day when machines will be able to out think us: When that day comes intelligence will lose all connection with consciousness and empathy.
As machines advance there is much less need for a large population - in the past governments had a vested interest in keeping people healthy (after all many people meant more soldiers for armies and more workers to keep the economy moving) so as machines and Artificial Intelligences (AI) become the most economically effective option what motivation is there for governments and companies to look after the welfare of the masses of humanity on Earth? I know this sounds like science fiction but the picture Harari paints is only too believable. Harari’s future is fascinating and frightening - populated with examples of how Artificial Intelligences are already changing our behaviours, frequently without us being truly aware of it.
Ultimately, it is only one vision of a possible future, but it is one that should be looked at because it is still the future and we can still choose another path.
Book review presented by staff member Sasha Mitchell. Call into Need2Read at 25 Victoria Street or call 5622 0299 to purchase a copy.