Recently I finished the popular book "NEXUS: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to the AI Age," which discusses the development of information dissemination and networks.
As a professional and observer in the field of journalism, communication, and information networks, coupled with its status as a bestseller, I naturally did not want to miss this book.
The author of this book is Yuval Noah Harari, the same person who wrote the mega-bestseller "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind." In this book, he continues the "big history" writing approach of his famous work "Sapiens," outlining the development of human information networks from the Stone Age to the present, and expressing his concerns about artificial intelligence.
Information is the cornerstone of human civilization
In this book, Harari presents a core idea: information is the cornerstone of human civilization. Information connects individuals, constructs vast and complex social networks through the spread of symbolic systems (such as language and writing), enabling Homo sapiens not only to conquer nature but also to shape modern states and the global economic system.
In the early stages of human history, the spread of information mainly relied on language, myths, and stories, which were the foundations upon which early human societies were formed. Some of this content overlaps with that in "Sapiens"—during this stage, humans built a sense of identity and social norms within tribes through orally transmitted stories.
With the invention of writing and the development of writing systems, the storage and transmission of information changed. Writing allowed information to surpass the limitations of oral transmission, enabling the establishment of more complex social structures.
Entering the modern era, the invention and popularization of the printing press sparked an information revolution, ushering human society into a new era. Knowledge was no longer solely in the hands of a few elites but gradually became accessible to the masses.
The popularization and diversification of information enabled individuals and groups to question authority, propose reforms, and thus promote social change and progress.
Finally, the internet and digital technology brought about another, more profound information revolution. The internet has enabled information dissemination at an unprecedented speed and breadth, changing the way humans interact and the structure of society.
However, with the development of computer technology and artificial intelligence, information networks began to shift towards "silicon-based" systems. This shift not only changed the way information is processed, allowing information networks to break free from biological constraints and enter a new dimension.
The author calls for humans to face the future with wisdom and caution. He believes that non-biological information networks have changed the relationship between individuals and society, posing unprecedented challenges to personal privacy and freedom.
Without a strong self-correcting mechanism, artificial intelligence could promote distorted worldviews, encourage unchecked abuse of power, and incite a terrifying new round of "witch hunts."
He also raises concerns that the surveillance capabilities of information networks allow governments and corporations to track and predict individual behavior with precision, thereby controlling personal choices and lifestyles. He introduces the concept of the "Silicon Curtain," drawing a parallel with the historical "Iron Curtain"—expressing worries that AI could lead to a world of parallel digital realms, belonging to hostile digital empires.
The reading process is like doing gymnastics for the mind
"The process of reading this book is especially like doing gymnastics for the brain," a metaphor I found in writer Ma Jiahui's review while searching for related book critiques. I find it very fitting. The reading process of this book is very interesting.
It contains a wealth of stories, and the author has a strong writing foundation. These stories are also very interesting, and each one can be extended for more discussion and thought.
For example, when the author raises concerns about artificial intelligence, he cites "The Sorcerer's Apprentice":
An old sorcerer leaves his workshop in the care of a young apprentice. The apprentice, wanting to take it easy, uses a magic spell to make a broom fetch water. But he doesn't know how to stop the broom, which keeps bringing more and more water, threatening to flood the entire workshop.
Panicking, the apprentice splits the broom in half with an axe, only to find that each half has become a new broom. Two magical brooms flood the workshop. When the old sorcerer returns, he lifts the spell and stops the flood.
This teaches the apprentice, and humanity, a clear lesson: "Never awaken a force you cannot control."
However, I must also mention the problems and doubts I encountered during the reading process. Due to my continuous attention to information dissemination, networks, and artificial intelligence, and having read many similar books, conversed with experts in related fields, and interacted with friends working in these areas, many of the viewpoints in this book are not so novel to me.
Moreover, the author himself is not an artificial intelligence expert, so many of his understandings about artificial intelligence seem somewhat biased to me.
Harari's writing style is also controversial. He often starts with the conclusion and then selects and fills in corresponding story materials (and he admits that he has a team handling this kind of work), which I find relatively prone to flaws.
Finally, although he expresses concerns about artificial intelligence, he does not offer any concrete solutions. His appeals and calls to governments and corporations are also rather empty and weak, yet it feels like he really wants to say something, so the ending part is actually the biggest problem with this book.
However, precisely because the author is a highly regarded writer, the topics he raises have sparked more discussions and my recent reflections, making this book still worth reading.
Back to real life, what can we do?
I have friends who are practitioners in the field of artificial intelligence and technology, and I have also interviewed top experts in related fields. In my view, most of them may not read such books.
They are not as pessimistic as the book suggests; they are dedicated to researching and exploring new fields, which is admirable; their daily lives are filled with precise experiments and cautious research, and their time is calculated by the clock—perhaps most of them do not have the time and energy to pay attention to so many macro issues.
We ordinary people, for the most part, enjoy the convenience and services brought by the development of information technology and artificial intelligence. Most of us may not be able to truly intervene in the planning and development of related technologies and fields by enterprises or governments.
We help the network understand us more every day, our time is fragmented; our daily lives are filled with work, short videos, algorithms, and beautiful fashion pictures—perhaps we also do not have so much time and energy to pay attention to so many macro issues.
However, as users, our phones or computers are already very powerful information terminals. We are also connecting, forming a new era of information networks. We use, organize, produce, and absorb information every day...
What can we do?
The author gives an example: The Rohingya are an ethnic group that practices Islam and lives in Myanmar. Since the 1970s, violent conflicts have occasionally erupted between the Myanmar military government and the majority Buddhists and the Rohingya.
In the 2010s, conflicts and opposition have become more severe, largely due to fake news spread on Facebook. "Algorithms experimented on millions of users and found that the best way to increase engagement was to make people angry. Conspiracy theories full of hatred are more engaging than compassionate sermons."
Recent news: The Korean Women's Human Rights Institute released a set of data showing that this year, 781 AI face-swapping victims have sought help online, 36.9% of whom are minors. Another Korean media outlet further reported that an online chat room related to AI face-swapping has attracted 220,000 people, with victims including a large number of students and minors, and more than 200 schools affected.
Back to examples around us: We sometimes see news of professors from certain universities or graduate students being scammed out of hundreds of thousands. In the past, we thought the elderly would be more likely to become targets of criminals, but in reality, the ability to discern information is not necessarily positively correlated with education level.
Today's social media and artificial intelligence indeed play an indispensable role in creating massive amounts of information, anxiety, and conflict, but they do not necessarily truly enhance our ability to control and discern information.
Perhaps, I am not so pessimistic about the future of artificial intelligence, but I am more concerned about people's ability to face and deal with massive amounts of information, and the way they create massive amounts of information.
The constantly changing ways of information dissemination affect more people in various industries, and the massive amounts of information squeeze our time and energy, our attention, and compress our ability to experience and perceive other aspects of life.
Perhaps, after more years of precipitation, we can truly find a way to coexist with artificial intelligence and massive amounts of information, and slowly learn to truly understand ourselves and our role in the world and the universe.