We are at a turning point in history. Individualism is the idea that every individual is valuable, responsible for themselves, has freedoms and is encouraged to pursue their dreams.
This was spread across the world during the 1800s in what is known as the Age of Enlightenment. It is the current dominant doctrine that has led to significant strides in the quality of life.
Today, however, the rise of artificial intelligence poses a new challenge to individualism, as machines may soon be favoured over human individuals. But, is this really what our forefathers fought for?
The threat to individual freedom
Collectivism is the opposite of individualism. It emphasises that the interests of a group supersede the interests of the individuals belonging to it.
Some of the catastrophes of the 20th century have been caused by this as we can see by the levels of human suffering in the Gulags of the former Soviet Union and the treatment of Jews in Nazi Germany.
Highlighting this, was Austrian economist Freidrich Hayek, who noted how collectivism in communism and fascism led to totalitarianism in his book The Road to Serfdom.
In the modern context of artificial intelligence, a new order called dataism is emerging as noted by the famous author Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens.
It advocates for the free flow of data, without restraint and for the use of artificial intelligence to process this to make optimal decisions.
Although it is not inherently collectivist, it has the potential to lead to collectivism as Harari notes how algorithms will eventually be making important decisions for us like which career to have and who to marry.
Although no political party has officially adopted it, society is already tending towards dataism, as evidenced by the widespread use of services like Tinder.
For the economy, the fact that artificial intelligence is best suited to large sets of data could undermine economic and individual freedoms. In clear opposition to the idea of a free market, the Soviet-style government control of the economy could be reinstituted as world leaders are enticed to give machines enough access to data to make perfect economic decisions.
This could even undermine the rule of law, as the concentration of power in the government may lead it to see itself as the ultimate authority on what is best for society. This is precisely what Hayek warned us against.
Automation and its impact
Karl Marx, the father of communism, believed that by embracing collectivism, society could dissolve all social classes and make work voluntary for individuals. People would only do so out of passion rather than compulsion. This also means that people would be provided for by their needs rather than by their competence. This, in essence, is true communism.
The receding influence of the US and the growing influence of China have presented the world with a power vacuum- Isaac Cilia Attard
If machines can do what we do and automate our work, Marx’s vision may partially come to life. But as Hayek warned, this could lead to the loss of individual freedoms. It is also clear to many that people find meaning in their work and this comes part and parcel with having a good life.
Thus, it is evident that people should be aiming for the adventure of their lives with all its pain and joy rather than shielding themselves from it and taking it easy. My question to the reader is this. Are you ready to give up your job while retaining your salary for a machine to do it instead? Are you willing to let go of your role in society in exchange for an easy life?
What can we do about it?
Techno-humanism is another school of thought that extends individualism. It is a clear response to dataism in which humans will be complemented rather than replaced by machines. In this way, artificial intelligence will work for us rather than us working for it.
As we can see in China, the emerging global superpower, the establishment of AI-powered government surveillance and the social credit system is a step towards dataism. With enough influence, we can see these behaviours permeate the globe.
It is therefore paramount that the west establishes itself in opposition to this by adopting techno-humanist ideals. Given their complementary strengths, the best outcome for humanity would be that machines and people work together.
As individuals, we can act by opposing these acts in our personal and political choices and by raising awareness of the potential destruction of democracy and individual freedoms.
We can also choose to act entrepreneurially by innovating, where systems are created to purposefully pair with workers instead of eliminating their roles.
In addition, education could teach us how to enhance ourselves with this new technology instead of banning it in the name of antiquated rote learning.
The receding influence of the US and the growing influence of China have presented the world with a power vacuum.
If the Chinese fill it first, we may see the concept of totalitarianism through AI spread across the four corners of the world and witness the demise of the individual. Corruption increases the odds of this happening, as humanity gets more tired of itself by the scandal.
We must learn to be humble and see ourselves as agents of hope and prosperity rather than as victors of government. We must abandon utopianism, hatred and collectivism. We must be unafraid of doing the right thing, for if we fail, we are beckoned with the age of unenlightenment, where deprecation is our fate.
Isaac Cilia Attard is following a computer science degree at Goldsmiths, University of London.