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Yuval Noah Harari

What Yuval Noah Harari thinks about consciousness

@yuval-noah-harari · 381 positions · On ppll ↗

Israeli historian and philosopher, born in 1976; author of Sapiens, Homo Deus, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century and Nexus; lecturer in the Department of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; co-founder of Sapienship in 2019.

Yuval Noah Harari did not write this page.

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Only Yuval Noah Harari on consciousness. See everyone on consciousness

8 dated positions, 2017 to 2026, in their own words. Our reading of what Yuval Noah Harari has said — not written or endorsed by them.

  1. Our readingAn AI can have agency without consciousness

    Their wordsSo we need to separate the issue of consciousness from agency. You can have agency without consciousness.

    ↗The full-length interview with Yuval Noah Harari | The Economistyoutube.com 5th of 19 in this recording

  2. 22 months earlier

  3. Our readingAI may become ever more intelligent without ever becoming conscious, as airplanes fly without growing feathers

    aviation

    Their wordsIt's not like that at a certain point when the airplane flies fast enough, suddenly the feathers will appear. No. And it could be the same with intelligence and consciousness, that it will be more and more intelligent without feelings ever appearing.

    ↗Our AI Future Is WAY WORSE Than You Think | Yuval Noah Harariyoutube.com 3rd of 18 in this recording

  5. Our readingPeople will rely ever more on algorithms to decide for them, but the algorithms are unlikely to manipulate them consciously, having no consciousness

    Their wordsWe will increasingly rely on algorithms to make decisions for us, but it is unlikely that the algorithms will start to consciously manipulate us. They won't have any consciousness.

    ↗21 Lessons for the 21st Century (Vintage, 2019 edition; first published by Jonathan Cape, 2018)books.google.com All 26 from this book

  7. Our readingWe should fear AI not because it will rebel but because it will obey its human masters

    Their wordsBut there is no particular reason to believe that AI will develop consciousness as it becomes more intelligent. We should instead fear AI because it will probably always obey its human masters, and never rebel.

    ↗Why Technology Favors Tyranny (The Atlantic)theatlantic.com 5th of 11 in this piece

  9. Our readingFor every dollar and minute invested in AI, we should invest the same in developing human consciousness

    Their wordsTo avoid such an outcome, for every dollar and every minute we invest in improving AI, we would be wise to invest a dollar and a minute in exploring and developing human consciousness.

    ↗Why Technology Favors Tyranny (The Atlantic)theatlantic.com 9th of 11 in this piece

  11. Our readingThe soul is a story; the stream of consciousness is a concrete reality

    Their wordsThe soul is a story that some people accept while others reject.

    ↗Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (Vintage, 2017 edition; first published in English by Harvill Secker, 2016; Hebrew 2015)books.google.com All 30 from this book

  13. Our readingUntil now high intelligence always went hand in hand with a developed consciousness

    Their wordsUntil today high intelligence always went hand in hand with a developed consciousness.

    ↗Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (Vintage, 2017 edition; first published in English by Harvill Secker, 2016; Hebrew 2015)books.google.com All 30 from this book

  15. Our readingWe are creating artificial intelligence but not artificial consciousness

    Silicon Valley

    Their wordsWhat's happening today in places like Silicon Valley is that we are creating artificial intelligence but not artificial consciousness.

    ↗Nationalism vs. globalism: the new political divide | Yuval Noah Harari (TED Dialogues)youtube.com 8th of 12 in this recording