Excellent piece, and I think it is perceptive to frame this as a dialectic and choice between "certainty" and "possibility." We've sacrificed a lot of genius for a certainty that has little to show for it...Perhaps AI can help us see why it's good to avoid that mistake (almost as a kind of proof)? At the same time, you're right to point out that this brings a challenge where if possibility advances beyond our capacity to judge it, we might have given up too much. Can we advance our capacity to judge alongside and with technological advancement? That will be hard and further erode "givens," which I like to talk about, which some people will enjoy and thrive in, but others will be overwhelmed by anxiety. Strange times, but we'll see what happens.
Thank you, I have been greatly inspired by your work on givens and anxieties.
> Can we advance our capacity to judge alongside and with technological advancement?
This is vastly under explored, but I believe that we can. The problem is how to make our capacity to judge legible to the incentive structures of innovation.
> That will be hard and further erode "givens,"
My sense is that the automaticity of planetary tech platforms/algorithms is a far greater erosive force? I may be delusional but I still have some hope that certain technologies of judgement could in fact restore a sense of givens amidst a global plurality. Stay tuned!
I'm so honored! It means a lot that you've found that work inspiring. You've made my night. And I agree with you that our capacity to judge can be improved, which is a big concern of Belonging Again Part 2. I agree also that the challenge though is how to make our capacity to judge legible to the incentive structures: that's very well put. Your point on the algorithm is also very well-taken, and I agree that we have to risk social intelligibility at this point, or the algorithm will win by default. I also have hope in certain technologies, which I'll talk about as the new Social Coordination System, like what we see happening on the Liminal Web, but that has to be fleshed out. Thanks again!
Excellent piece, and I think it is perceptive to frame this as a dialectic and choice between "certainty" and "possibility." We've sacrificed a lot of genius for a certainty that has little to show for it...Perhaps AI can help us see why it's good to avoid that mistake (almost as a kind of proof)? At the same time, you're right to point out that this brings a challenge where if possibility advances beyond our capacity to judge it, we might have given up too much. Can we advance our capacity to judge alongside and with technological advancement? That will be hard and further erode "givens," which I like to talk about, which some people will enjoy and thrive in, but others will be overwhelmed by anxiety. Strange times, but we'll see what happens.
Thank you, I have been greatly inspired by your work on givens and anxieties.
> Can we advance our capacity to judge alongside and with technological advancement?
This is vastly under explored, but I believe that we can. The problem is how to make our capacity to judge legible to the incentive structures of innovation.
> That will be hard and further erode "givens,"
My sense is that the automaticity of planetary tech platforms/algorithms is a far greater erosive force? I may be delusional but I still have some hope that certain technologies of judgement could in fact restore a sense of givens amidst a global plurality. Stay tuned!
I'm so honored! It means a lot that you've found that work inspiring. You've made my night. And I agree with you that our capacity to judge can be improved, which is a big concern of Belonging Again Part 2. I agree also that the challenge though is how to make our capacity to judge legible to the incentive structures: that's very well put. Your point on the algorithm is also very well-taken, and I agree that we have to risk social intelligibility at this point, or the algorithm will win by default. I also have hope in certain technologies, which I'll talk about as the new Social Coordination System, like what we see happening on the Liminal Web, but that has to be fleshed out. Thanks again!