AI will shape how human beings perceive the world
This article explores how generative AI acts as a new medium that reshapes human communication, drawing on 1960s media theory from Marshall McLuhan and Guy Debord. It suggests that while we currently use AI to replicate old content, it will eventually enable entirely new forms of expression.
Why it matters
Understanding AI as a medium rather than just a tool helps predict how it will fundamentally alter societal perception and cultural production.
The 1960s were a time of great change in technology, culture and politics. Television was radically altering the media environment and no-one was quite sure how to think about it.
As the world struggles with the effect of another new hi-tech medium — generative AI — two thinkers from that era have acquired new relevance for understanding what is happening and where we’re heading.
Investors are sinking billions of dollars into AI companies and data centres in the belief that AI will change the world. But how should we think about AI? Is it a powerful tool we should embrace to avoid becoming Luddites? A type of intelligence we should be collaborating with?
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