artificial-intelligence
2 July 2025 David Howell’s thesis: The new anarchy is digital, not ideological. The microchip and information revolution have changed human relations everywhere, uprooted family ties, life patterns, local communities, world affairs. Microcircuit technology has compelled the need for a new type of democracy, a new pattern of world power, otherwise a slide to domestic … Continue reading Speech on the Book Launch of David Howell’s The Coming Anarchy and How to Avoid It
27th of May 2025 I. Some of you may know the famous scene at the start of Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, when one of our fur-covered ancestors picks up a bone from a skeleton lying on the ground and realises that it can be used to fight off enemies. Having killed the leader of … Continue reading Robots as Weapons of War
23 November 2024 This book tells three stories about the impact of machines on the human condition: on the way we work, on our freedom, and on our physical survival. Each story contains within it a vision of heaven and hell: the promise of relief from work, freedom to think our own thoughts, and almost … Continue reading Presentation for the Miami Book Fair – Mindless
July 19, 2024 This essay falls into three parts. First, I discuss the question of what it is which makes humans unique — that is, irreplaceable. Second, I consider whether machines on balance enhance or diminish humanness. This has become an issue of the moment with the growth of machine intelligence. Finally, I try … Continue reading Will Artificial Intelligence replace us? – The Article Interview