Yuval Noah Harari on power, truth and the threat from AI
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Hello from London,
Yuval Noah Harari’s excellent new book, “Nexus”, is all about information, AI, truth and power. You can read our review of it . I’d also suggest turning to the historian’s provocative guest essay for us, published last year, in which he argues that AI has the means to “hack the operating system ” of civilisation.?
This week Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will lock horns in their first, and probably only, televised debate. Sometimes political theatre matters. Tony Blair recalled how, as Britain’s prime minister, the most “nail-biting, bowel-moving, terror-inspiring, courage-draining” times he endured were fending off hostile questions during debates in Parliament every week. He knew the danger of a bad performance, as it could cost him authority, popularity and eventually power. Joe Biden—remember him?—learned that lesson, after his woeful performance against Donald Trump in June.?
So what’s likely to happen on Tuesday? We think Kamala Harris has learned to talk better in debates: she has cut back on her previous abstract meandering. As a result, she probably has the advantage over Mr Trump in their face-off (read our column on the topic). For more on the candidates’ speaking styles, I strongly recommend our language columnist’s analysis of the number of words—and the variety of them—used by Mr Trump, Ms Harris and others in their debates. Back in 2015 Mr Trump bragged that “I know words. I have the best words.” Well, we’ve tested him on that. You can read the results .
In Europe Mario Draghi, a respected former central banker and Italian prime minister, today presented his much-anticipated recommendations on how to make the EU’s stodgy economy more nimble. He wants a “new industrial strategy” backed by investment “on a par with the Marshall Plan”. He has written a new guest essay for us outlining his proposals. (Last year he wrote for us on Europe’s fiscal future .)?
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2 天前LKWn7spslaaKShbb
Assistant Architect at EA Consulting (PVT) Ltd
1 个月Great advice???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Image Branding Consultant at MyHoardings
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2 个月Very informative
?? "Always learning, Always thinking, Always moving" | Red Team Tenth Man | AI, Energy, National Defense, Aerospace | Senior at Auburn University
2 个月Yuval Noah Harari always has this way of making you stop and rethink everything you thought you knew about technology and society. His idea that AI could "hack the operating system" of civilization feels like more than just a metaphor. We're at a point where AI is influencing not only how we work, but also how we understand truth and make decisions as a collective. It's like a mirror being held up to society, showing us both the potential and the risks of giving so much control to these systems. It’s a reminder that we need to be vigilant about how we let AI shape our future. On another note, Mario Draghi’s call for a "new industrial strategy" for Europe backed by investments akin to the Marshall Plan feels like the kind of bold thinking needed to revitalize economies struggling with post-pandemic challenges. It feels like the kind of thinking we need right now, especially in the face of so much economic uncertainty. Bold investments like this could be the key to revitalizing Europe’s economy post-pandemic, and hopefully, it's a call that leaders across sectors will answer.