21 Lessons for the 21st Century

In the last few decades, scientists, especially in the areas of neuroscience and behavioral economists, have discovered that human feelings are not the product of “free will.” Rather, human choice results from biochemical mechanisms that all mammals and birds use to make split-second calculations around survival and reproductive probabilities. So-called “human intuition” (20) is humans recognizing patterns. The human brain’s biochemical algorithms are not perfect, relying on “heuristics, shortcuts, and outdated circuits adapted to the African savannah rather than to the urban jungle” (20). To outcompete humans, then, artificial intelligence needs to simply be better in calculating probabilities and recognizing patterns.

This scenario is already beginning to occur, such as in chess. In human-only chess, judges catch cheaters by monitoring their level of creativity. If players are using moves that are too original, then a computer is likely assisting them. Creativity is now the hallmark of computers in this game. While outcompeting humans in a game might not seem threatening, Harari believes that algorithms’ ability to create and manipulate human emotion and decisions will exponentially increase. This ability will lead to social and political disruptions that are incredibly alarming, including the rise of a vast “underclass of useless Homo sapiens” and a “small class of superhumans” (75).