BookTalk.org

Please use this thread to discuss the above mentioned chapter.

As I was watching my bread machine go through its cycles and waiting for the usual great-tasting loaf, it reminded me of the concept Harari described in this way, "This is of great importance not only because this key concept reappears in many of the following chapters, but also because the twenty-first century will be dominated by algorithms".

In chapter 2, Harari argues that algorithms will play an increasingly important role in the future of humankind. He describes how humanism, in which the human mind is seen as the highest authority, is being replaced by a world in which algorithms and data make the decisions. Harari expects that in the not too distant future, algorithms won’t just improve skills, but they will also get better at knowing what we feel. They will get to know us better than we are capable of knowing ourselves. Harari also writes that organisms are algorithms. This includes humans, who consist of algorithms that produce copies of themselves. Sensations, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors all come from these algorithms.

Lev, I think this shift to an algorithmic policy basis is really important and good. The problem is that humans are too stupid and ignorant and emotional to have sensible opinions. For example, if we ask artificial intelligence to design an optimal climate policy, we will find that the biggest constraints are not scientific, economic or technical, but rather the pervasive barrier of human stupidity. So we will soon see the situation emerge where machine learning proposes methods to stabilise and cool the planet, delivering on the essential climate goal of mitigating the impact of warming, but the world will be unable to implement these essential security measures solely because too many people think they are smarter than the machines. It is up to humans to set the goals for the algorithms to answer, and then to properly recognise the logic within the machine solution.

Robert Tulip wrote: ↑Tue Nov 07, 2023 12:41 am
Lev, I think this shift to an algorithmic policy basis is really important and good. The problem is that humans are too stupid and ignorant and emotional to have sensible opinions. For example, if we ask artificial intelligence to design an optimal climate policy, we will find that the biggest constraints are not scientific, economic or technical, but rather the pervasive barrier of human stupidity. So we will soon see the situation emerge where machine learning proposes methods to stabilize and cool the planet, delivering on the essential climate goal of mitigating the impact of warming, but the world will be unable to implement these essential security measures solely because too many people think they are smarter than the machines. It is up to humans to set the goals for the algorithms to answer, and then to properly recognize the logic within the machine solution.

I think that there are promising signs that humans will be more willing to accept the results of machine learning algorithms they see and apply more and more applications.

One of the most promising applications is in the field of climate modeling. Machine learning algorithms are being used to analyze large amounts of data and make predictions about future climate patterns. It has been shown that this can help better understand the impact of human activities on the environment and develop more effective strategies to mitigate climate change.

Another area where machine learning algorithms are useful is in optimizing energy systems. By analyzing data on energy consumption and production, algorithms can help identify areas where energy efficiency can be improved. This can lead to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and help slow the pace of climate change.

Algorithms can also be used to optimize agricultural practices. For example, machine learning algorithms can be used to predict crop yields and identify areas where crops are at risk of failure due to weather patterns.

This can help farmers make more informed decisions about when to plant and harvest crops, which can lead to more efficient use of resources and less waste.
Below are examples of this work being done here in Canada.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/ai-mach ... -1.6561790