Have you ever wondered why we talk about computers 'learning' or 'thinking' as if they were alive? It turns out that our fascination—and fear—of intelligent machines isn't a modern phenomenon; it is a story thousands of years in the making.

In this episode, we dive into a deep genealogical study that traces our relationship with artificial intelligence over a staggering 5,000-year timeline. Using the Causal Layered Analysis framework, the research peels back the superficial headlines of job loss and utopian efficiency to reveal the deep-seated worldviews and myths that have guided human-machine interaction since the time of ancient Sumer. We explore how the quest for 'advantage'—whether military, capitalist, or intellectual—has consistently redirected the path of technological evolution.

We examine five major historical 'discontinuities' where our understanding of intelligence underwent a paradigm shift, from the mechanization of the body during the Industrial Revolution to our current era of data-driven hope and vulnerability. The paper argues that AI development is a cyclical journey, and by understanding the stories we’ve told in the past, we can better navigate the transition toward a future where technology serves as a humanitarian partner rather than a source of displacement.

Tune in as we unpack how changing the underlying myths of our machines might be the key to a flourishing future.

Ref:
Elissa Farrow. To Augment Human Capacity—Artificial Intelligence Evolution through Causal Layered Analysis. Futures, 2019. ISSN 0016-3287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2019.02.022