Headline, October 23 2024/ ''' TECHNOLOGY -POWER- GOVERNANCE '''

''' TECHNOLOGY -POWER-

 GOVERNANCE '''

TECHNOLOGY AND THE WOUNDED FRACTURED WORLD : Yuval Noah Hariri's latest book Nexus - delves into how information systems have shaped human destiny, and the role of AI between technology, power and governance.

DEMOCRACY RELIES ON DECENTRALISED INFORMATION and accepts leaders fallibility -while Totalitarianism centralises control. Starting in the 19th century, mass media enabled democracy but also helped large-scale totalitarian regimes and, today, digital media is reshaping politics.

Yuval Noah Harari - in his recent book Nexus, explores deep questions about identity, consciousness and intelligence, offering clear explanations through vivid stories and analogies.

His ability to connect insights from various fields such as history, neuroscience, philosophy and artificial intelligence makes him more than just a historian - he feels like a modern-day guide to understanding our past and future.

The first section, titled '' Human Networks '', delves into the nature of information and its boundless connections. It highlights the power of documents in shaping authority and challenges the illusion of perfection.

In the chapter '' A Brief History of Democracy and Totalitarianism he traces the evolution of governance. He challenges what he calls the ''naive view'' of info.

He argues that simply having more information doesn't always lead to truth - after all, the internet didn't end totalitarianism, and racism isn't something that can just be fact-checked away.

Interestingly, he points out that the idea of truth being subjective, now popular with right-wing politicians, originally came from left-wing thinkers such as Karl Marx and Michel Foucault. These themes come together to offer a compelling exploration of how knowledge, errors and decision-making shape societies and nations.

In the second section, The Inorganic Network Harari takes a deep dive into the unique power and pitfalls of modern networks and explaining how computers differ from the printing press by being constantly active and interconnected.

He emphasises the relentless nature of digital networks that are always on, literally 24/7. Yet acknowledges their fallibility often spreading misinformation.

Building on ideas from Sapiens and Homo Deus, he explains that humans thrived because they could cooperate in large groups, using shared stories and myths to create laws, currencies and nations.

These stories didn't need to be completely accurate - they worked because they could be simplified and ignore uncomfortable truths. Through these insights, Harari sheds light on the complexity and influence of today's technological landscape.

The last section, '' Computer Politics '', explores the ability of democracies to maintain meaningful conversations in an increasingly divided world, scrutinise the rise of algorithm-driven totalitarian regimes, and analyses the potential divide in our digital landscape, between a unified global empire and a fractured world. Here, Harari addresses the intricate relationship between technology, power and governance.

Harari sees AI not just as technology but as '' alien intelligence '' capable of becoming powerful actors in society. He worries that AI could worsen existing problems, such as cyber-attacks, surveillance and online radicalisation, even creating new political movements and financial risks.

While some of his scenarios, such as an autocrat trusting AI over humans with nuclear weapons, may seem far-fetched, his overall narrative is engaging and thought-provoking.

His outsider perspective on tech offers fresh insights, making his book a unique bridge between history and the AI debate.

The Honour and Serving of the Latest Global Operational Research and writings on AI, Society, forward integration and the future, continues. The World Students Society thanks review author Sara Danial.

With respectful dedication to the Global Founder Framers of !WOW! and then Students, Professors and Teachers of the world. See You all prepare for Great Global Elections on The World Students ; wssciw.blogspot.com and Twitter X !E-WOW! - The Ecosystem 2011 :

Good Night and God Bless

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