Alternative Prosperities

At the Intersection of AI and Humanity.

The 21st century is steering us towards an era of "AI-lization," or should I say, "A(nnih)I-lation"? This play on words captures a major concern of our collective psyche: the fear that super-intelligences might eventually take our jobs and render us obsolete.

Yet, this fear conceals a deeper opportunity: to redefine our relationship with work, creativity, and life itself. "Sometimes, life gets in the way of living" … Does this resonate with you? Have you ever felt trapped in your own existence, overwhelmed by the mundane? French astrophysicist and philosopher Aurélien Barraud takes this further, suggesting we've become "the living who no longer love life."

In a permacrisis world, a growing drive for transformation is gaining momentum. A notable example of this shift is the decision of Patagonia's founder in 2022 to donate his $3 billion company to environmental conservation efforts. Perceived as a surprisingly nonconformist act, this gesture has since been mirrored by others following the same line of thought: on social media platforms like TikTok, the #degrowth movement has been gaining traction, amassing millions of views.

Institutional initiatives are mirroring this shift towards sustainability, as exemplified by the 2023 "les dévendeurs" campaign from ADEME, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency. This campaign, aimed at promoting sustainable consumption, encouraged alternatives such as renting, repairing, or buying refurbished items. Despite facing criticism from retailers, especially around Black Friday and the holiday season, it received strong support from Christophe Béchu, the French Minister of Ecological Transition

Driven by a desire for deeper self-connection, individual awareness is also shaping consumer behavior, with more people turning to practices like sensory adaptation and energy healing. For instance, “breathwork” queries on Google tripled to 60,000 in November 2023 compared to two years prior; “tapping therapy” reached 135,000 queries, a 40% increase; and "somatic workout" surged to 246,000 queries. The latter, blending movement and mindfulness, meets a need for alignment between body and mind, often overlooked in our modern world.

Sologamy, the act of marrying oneself, is also witnessing a surge in popularity, evidenced by its 1.3 million views on TikTok. This practice, which celebrates personal independence and self-commitment, underscores the significance of the individual as the architect of their own life. It reflects a contemporary interpretation of Sartrean existentialism, highlighting our entry into an era of more assertive living.

For sure, all these examples embody the spirit of a generation seeking regeneration, aligning with German sociologist Hartmut Rosa's "resonance" theory. They illustrate a desire to reconnect with positive and meaningful interactions, both with our environment and ourselves.

It's important to recognize that the technological acceleration, initiated two centuries ago with the industrial revolution, has undeniably played a key role in our growing sense of disconnection. The industrial era, despite the leisure it brought, often led to feelings of emptiness and idleness. Instead of engaging in self-discovery, we found ourselves absorbed in superficial entertainments, losing touch with our essence.

Furthermore, the development of computing and early stages of artificial intelligence focused on processing structured data. This data, typically in the form of numbers, tables, and well-defined categories, was easily handled by traditional computer systems. However, unstructured data, like free text, images, videos, and audio recordings, posed a significant challenge. Their diversity and lack of structure made them complex for conventional computers to process. Yet, these data types capture the essence of human communication in all its richness and complexity.

This is where the advent of generative AI marks a true revolution. By uncovering the hidden depths within vast sets of intrinsically human data, it becomes a powerful tool for discovery, opening doors to an understanding of humanity on an unprecedented scale. Capable of analyzing and interpreting complex networks of human data, it offers fresh insights into our behaviors, cultures, and social interactions worldwide, while providing tools for better articulation of these insights. This is the era of 'selfpressionism', a concept I have previously discussed.

Pascal once spoke of our unhappiness as stemming from the inability to be at peace with ourselves. Today, generative AI, by delving into the unexplored depths of our psyche, could help us meet this age-old challenge. It teaches us to re-question everything, for knowing how to prompt an AI means knowing how to question; and to question is to challenge the obvious, not to possess it. Thus, in this new era, we are invited not only to discover but also to redefine our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. Ironically, it may be through this technological mirror that we learn to fully embrace our humanity, finding an unexpected balance between our soul and the AIntelligence of our time.

MD