When comparing recent technological advancement with the previous century, most of the biggest changes are simulation versus physical. For example, railroads and airplanes compared to networking and computers.
The most valuable companies use software to create efficiencies and network effects. Even the physical goods they produce are often to support more simulation (e.g. mobile phones).
This change alters the relationship people have with the physical world. Facebook profile pages aren’t heirlooms to be passed down from generation to generation. The orientation of technological advancement of simulation creates more detachment from the physical world and leads to shorter term thinking.
See also:
- Bina Venkataramen’s presentation at Long Now which discusses this topic as it relates to tragedy of the commons and short term thinking.
- The average American consumes 34 gigabytes and 100,000 words of information which shows the effects o9 the move from physical to virtual consumption
- At the same time, zero-sum thinking is increasing which maybe related to more short term thinking
- People are bad at long-term thinking
Links to this note
-
Wealth-Creation Mechanisms Are Simple
The list of ways wealth is created is remarkably short.
-
AI Is Usually Described as Singular, but Really it Will Be a Multitude of Ais
When AI comes about it will be colored by the creators. Data used to train and techniques for replicating traits we associate with intelligence will encode the culture and philosophy into the AI. In that way, we will likely have an “American AI” that is significantly different to AI created elsewhere in the world.