Podcast Summary
The Wisdom Gap: Humanity's Challenge in the Age of Technology: E.O. Wilson identified the wisdom gap, a disparity between our primitive emotions, outdated institutions, and advanced technology, which is growing as technology advances. The Center for Humane Technology offers a free online course called Foundations of Humane Technology to help address this gap.
According to E.O. Wilson, humanity faces a significant challenge: we possess primitive emotions, outdated institutions, and advanced technology. This disparity, referred to as the wisdom gap, is growing as technology continues to advance at an unprecedented rate. New technologies, such as clip guided diffusion, which can generate fake images from text, pose new challenges, including the spread of misinformation and the erosion of trust online. To address this wisdom gap, the Center for Humane Technology has created a free online course called Foundations of Humane Technology. In this podcast episode, I, Tristan Harris, discuss the importance of closing this wisdom gap, and Randima Fernando, our co-founder and executive director, introduces the course in detail. With The Social Dilemma having been released in September 2020, the issues surrounding technology have not stopped evolving. As new technologies emerge, it becomes increasingly crucial for us to develop the wisdom necessary to responsibly use and steward these godlike technologies.
The wisdom gap between the complexity of the world and our understanding of it: The complexity of the world is increasing due to technology, but our ability to understand and respond to new interconnected risks is falling behind, creating a wisdom gap.
As the world becomes increasingly complex due to technological advancements, our ability to understand and respond adequately to new interconnected risks, such as nuclear escalation and cyberattacks, is falling behind. This gap between the complexity of the world and our understanding of it is referred to as the "wisdom gap." Technology, which is driving up the complexity of issues through the emergence of new domains like synthetic media and deepfakes, is also making it harder for us to make sense of this complexity by forcing us to rely on simplistic and polarizing narratives. The generals in the Pentagon may be able to secure our physical national security, but how many of them are keeping up with the evolving definition of security in the digital realm? The complexity line is going up, while our ability to make sense of it is going down.
Shifting technology paradigm to a humane lens: To address tech issues like polarization, misinfo, and addiction, we need to prioritize human vulnerabilities, internalize negative externalities, and foster connection and understanding through tech
The way technology is currently being developed and used in Silicon Valley needs an upgrade. The belief that technology is neutral and that it's just about giving users what they want has led to issues such as polarization, misinformation, and addiction. To address these problems, we need to shift our paradigm and start seeing technology through a humane lens. This means respecting human vulnerabilities, internalizing negative externalities, and creating shared understanding. Instead of maximizing personalized, relevant content, we should focus on building technology that actively addresses harmful consequences and fosters connection and understanding among people. This is just a starting point for the principles of humane technology, and it's crucial that we continue to challenge the old paradigm and promote this new way of thinking in public visibility and power.
Exploring the Principles of Humane Technology: This free 7-hour course introduces principles for creating more human-centered technology and offers practical recommendations and activities to shift mindset and build a supportive community.
The Foundations of Humane Technology course is a free, 7-hour learning experience designed for individuals and organizations dedicated to making technology more humane. It aims to shift understanding by introducing the principles of humane technology, change behavior through practical recommendations and activities, and build community through virtual events and career resources. The course is intended for a wide range of people, including tech professionals, investors, policymakers, educators, and students. Its ultimate goal is to help technologists worldwide change the mindset from which they build technology and create a supportive community for this important work.
Learning Humane Technology from 100,000 Individuals: The Foundations of Humane Technology initiative aims to train 100,000 individuals in creating more humane technology, envisioning a future where humane products outcompete extractive ones, with support from various organizations.
The Foundations of Humane Technology initiative aims to train 100,000 individuals, including technologists, investors, policymakers, founders, and everyday citizens, in foundational ideas to create more humane technology. This movement envisions a future where humane products outcompete extractive ones, with support from universities, investment funds, and organizations. Thousands have already enrolled, including employees from major tech companies and international organizations. The course is made possible by the generous support of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and other lead supporters. The ultimate goal is to align technology and socioeconomic systems with humanity and ecosystems. Join the movement and sign up for the course at humaneetech.com/course.
Effective Communication: The Key to Building Strong Relationships: Effective communication involves active listening, empathy, and clear language. It leads to stronger relationships in personal and professional settings.
Effective communication is essential in building strong relationships, whether it's in personal or professional settings. During our discussion, we explored various aspects of communication, including active listening, empathy, and nonverbal cues. Active listening involves fully concentrating on what the other person is saying, without interrupting or judgment. Empathy, on the other hand, means putting yourself in someone else's shoes and understanding their perspective. Nonverbal cues, such as body language and tone of voice, can also convey messages that words alone may not capture. Effective communication is not just about speaking clearly and articulately, but also about being open-minded, respectful, and authentic. It's important to remember that everyone has unique experiences and perspectives, and that we can learn a lot from each other if we approach communication with a curious and open mindset. In the workplace, clear and effective communication can lead to increased productivity, better collaboration, and stronger team dynamics. In our personal lives, effective communication can help us build deeper connections with our loved ones and friends. So, whether you're trying to resolve a conflict, build a new relationship, or strengthen an existing one, remember that effective communication is key. By actively listening, practicing empathy, and using clear and respectful language, we can create meaningful and lasting connections with others.
