There are two "mega trends" that I think about a lot these days, both for professional and personal reasons: the climate crisis and artificial intelligence. So many books, articles, and social media posts have been written about these topics, and many companies recognize the risks and/or seek to seize the opportunities. Ideally, it would be an "and" rather than an "or."
It truly helps to view things from a different perspective, and literature provides valuable context. Playground by Richard Powers is a recent novel that examines the interplay between technological ambition and environmental concerns, centered around the remote island of Makatea in French Polynesia. The main characters include a Silicon Valley mogul, a philosopher, an artist, and a marine biologist.
The story explores the tensions between progress and preservation, ambition and humility, and the personal relationships that shape our interaction with the world.
I listened to the audiobook version on two long road trips, and I was "pleasantly disappointed" when it ended (and the ending is fantastic). The book is intended for a broad audience, but as a technical person, I had many thoughts about this book—what I think most about is: Where did the optimism go that we had in the late '90s or early 2000s? The Internet was the biggest innovation and we wer convinced that it would make us a more connected and better society, where good things become better. Now it seems that our connected world also amplifies negative aspects — at the same time, our planet heats up as much as scientists feared decades ago.
Not an uplifting thought, for sure, but we can still make things better. If you care about climate change, you can follow the advice by Katharine Hayhoe:
If you're worried about climate change and want to make a difference,
- 🎙️ start a conversation about why climate change matters + what people can do
- 🤲 join a climate action group
- 💰 consider where you keep your money
- 💡spark ideas for change at work & school
- 🗳️ hold politicians accountable
- 🏡 reduce your personal footprint AND make your actions contagious by talking about them!
As Bill McKibben says , “the most important thing an individual can do right now is not be such an individual.”
It's not that I do follow everything on her list every day, but the advice serves a good guiding principle.
If you're a technical person, you can read Simon Willison's posts about AI or you can follow Gary Marcus, @garymarcus@sigmoid.social for a critically and engaging view on recent trends in AI.
Any thoughts or do you have a book recommendation? Feel free to get in touch with me!