Harari could be more dangerous than AI

Consider this paragraph:

“In the battle against disasters such as AIDS and Ebola, the balance is increasingly tipping in favor of humanity... It is therefore probable that major epidemics will continue to pose a threat to humankind in the future only if humankind itself generates them, in service to some ruthless ideology. The era when humankind stood powerless in the face of natural epidemics is likely over. But we may come to miss it.”

This paragraph is written by Yuval Noah Harari in his famous book 'Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind'. As reality has shown us, he was profoundly mistaken.

'Sapiens' is an excellent entertainment book. It brilliantly narrates the story of humanity and manages to engage the reader from the opening lines, making it a bestseller – a great story, written exceptionally well.

However, we are fundamentally wrong when we start considering storytellers as visionaries. Predictions using science should be based on objective data and hypothesis that are tested with experiments. Otherwise, what we are doing is merely modern chatter masquerading as postmodernist zen.

Were Harari's actions confined to merely penning such entertaining texts, no qualms would arise. However, the potential hazard manifests when political and corporate titans lend an ear to Harari's speculations or forecasts. Consider the following instances: The IMF's Managing Director queried him about the potential dependency of doctors on Universal Basic Income in the upcoming era. The chief executive of Axel Springer, a behemoth in the European publishing landscape, sought Harari's advice on how publishers could prosper amidst the digital revolution. A representative from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) probed him regarding the impact of COVID on the global scientific collaboration network. Moreover, Mark Zuckerberg questioned Harari about whether technology is fostering unity or fostering fragmentation among mankind.

The viewpoints articulated by Harari can serve as catalysts for decision-making, and in instances when this transpires, the resulting choices might display a substantial inclination, propelled by a personality in the media sphere. During an endorsement of the book on CNN in 2016, the former U.S. President Barack Obama likened 'Sapiens' to the Egyptian Pyramids, stating that both bestowed upon him an extraordinary "sense of perspective" about our remarkable civilization..

We have been captivated by Harari, not because of his truth or academic rigor, but because of his storytelling, and because he is a scientist. It's dangerous; it seems that being a scientist is sufficient to be right. In this day and age, good storytelling is more vital, but riskier, than ever before, especially when it comes to science.

A few days ago, Yuval Noah Harari predicted a catastrophic future, stating without any evidence that AI had hacked the operating system of human civilization.

He states this without any proof or rigorous work; it's merely an opinion.

The problem lies in the possibility of his views reaching the ears of those responsible for regulating AI. An irrational and overstated fear of the unknown can spook regulators, prompting them to over-regulate. Regulate the object, not its usage. We might even reach the paradoxical point where we ban knives due to their potential to kill.

And if this happens, what would surgeons operate with?