Abstract
Technology in general has been criticised by many philosophers, intellectuals and movements. Some of the arguments are spiritual in nature, others are based on a romantic notion of the past or the risks of climate change. With the arrival of artificial intelligence, human cognition is challenged as the only known form of intellectual power. With the arrival of a superintelligent AI, human cognition will be surpassed. Artificial intelligence invites its use for almost any human activity. However, intuitively or consciously, many people choose to live without modern technology or at least certain aspects of high tech. How does the introduction of advanced forms of artificial intelligence affect those who choose to live with it and those who choose to live without it?
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Notes
- 1.
It is interesting to note that at the issue of the magazine Der Spiegel from 31 May 1976 includes advertisements as well. Page 201 includes an ad for a prescription free medication to enhance the sexual performance in human males. An advertisement for similar product is on page 217. These ads are oddly out of place from the perspective of a reader more than fifty years later. Today, they can be seen as advertisements for transhumanist enhancements. But maybe this is just what the marketing department of Der Spiegel put on these pages.
- 2.
The interview was conducted in German language, and with everything Heidegger, language is important. Some of the English translations are decades old and not by authors with a background in technology.
- 3.
It may be difficult for English readers to appreciate that Heidegger almost created his own language by use of German expressions. This language is very difficult to understand even for native speakers of the German language. And it makes translations into English particularly problematic. Many translations, and in particular those that touch on Heidegger's concerns about the role of technology, are hopelessly out of date. Hence, I am providing my own translations here. These translations may be as problematic as previous attempts, and therefore, the text of the German language original appears first followed by my translations.
- 4.
Netflix’ Black Mirror, Season 4 “Metalhead” certainly scares me.
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Diederich, J. (2021). Neo-Luddism. In: The Psychology of Artificial Superintelligence. Cognitive Systems Monographs, vol 42. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-71842-8_5
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