Features, Not Bugs

Our human limits should be celebrated, not minimized or feared. 

This image was generate by Microsoft CoPilot (their Generative AI tool).

I have to confess it has been over 6 months since I published my last original blog post. My day job and other commitments with various organizations and activities has kept me busy, plus, I tried to take a bit of time off this summer. I recognize my human limits may prevent me from writing as systematically as I would like to. I also struggle with the (unfounded) guilt that I am not being as "productive" as I should be. 

As human beings we all know objectively we have limits but some of us work very hard to convince ourselves that many of these limits can be overcome. And while there is certainly important personal satisfaction and societal impact that can arise from each of us seeking to push our limits, we need to acknowledge the need to rest and recharge.
​We (thankfully) aren't machines. ​

The Human "Machine" 

The human body itself is a fascinating piece of biological technology. Estimated to contain close to 30 trillion cells (the number will vary based on one's body size and mass) that perform a vast array of functions it is amazing that this complexity arises from a single cell at conception. Equally impressive is the fact that our bodies in all their complexity and scope can sustain our lives for over a 100 years. Most of our cells are replaced over time but some remain with us for our entire lives. The biochemistry that helps our cells survive and replicate as appropriate is impressive not only in its complexity but also in its consistency. Generating 300+ billion new cells a day that properly operate within our body and lack deadly mutations is truly an amazing feat. 

These cells don't just have to exist and fulfill their functions, they must also fight against a range of forces that seek to destroy them and impede their function. Our cellular defenses must fight against their destruction by pathogens and viruses on a daily basis and the fact we only rarely get sick from these daily assaults is pretty amazing when you stop and think about it. We are an amazing set of biological processes that allow us to not only survive and reproduce but also think critically, examine the world around us, and develop and use tools to advance our goals.  

Technology & the Augmentation of Humanity 

In a way, most of the technology we develop seeks to overcome our many limitations. We aren't the fastest or most powerful animal on planet Earth. But we have invited machines that provide us the ability to travel faster than the speed of sound and developed technology that allowed us to harness the power of the atom to power thousands of home relatively cleanly...or destroy a city's worth of life in an instant. 

Humans are interesting creatures...capable of love, violence, incredible feats of skill and strength, amazing intellectual achievements, and more. We are also mortal beings and flawed in many ways. We are finite and limited, especially in relation to machines. Though machines also break and degrade, much like a human body, their parts can be replaced, which currently isn't possible with us. And as our technology gets more complex and powerful it shines an ever brighter light on our imperfections as individuals and makes starkly apparent to many that we have serious limits in our physical and cognitive abilities compared to the machines we have invented. 

For most of the 20th Century (and really since the dawn of the Industrial Revolution), societies have been focused on increasing productivity and output through various innovations and improvements. Motivated by a desire for continuous growth and advancement, expectations for workers and firms was for ever more production and output. Technological advancements allowed for more work to be accomplished in the same about of time and with less manpower. The evolution of this desire for increased efficiency has led to us reaching a point where more output, especially intellectual output, can be generated from from advances in neural networks, large language models, and machine learning that can quickly analyze and synthesize incredibly large amounts of data.

The incredible progress made in the development of generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has led many to become increasingly worried about our human limits and where our work fits in a future where these artificial systems become omnipresent. 

Cooperation & the Human Advantage 

If hyper capitalism determines the "worth" of a person by the output and "value" they produce, one is left asking in a future where more of these outputs don't require many if any human beings to produce, is the value of a human worker lower? Maybe so but is the value of a "worker" the same as the value of a person? Clearly not but this mindset shift of what constituents a productive member of society will be challenging for many. 

What we must remember is that homo sapiens' competitive advantage did not come from our individual strength or physical abilities. And while our enlarged brains and ability to plan and reason were helpful what ultimately allowed us to occupy large portions of the world was our ability to cooperate with other homo sapiens. 

There are interesting models in use that seek to recognize the value humans have to contribute beyond traditional work. One approach, time banking, seeks to create a marketplace for people to share their skills and time with others. This could include a range of activities from childcare to lawn work and so much more. The time banking approach takes the position that every individual has something to contribute and acknowledges that we all have limited time. Furthermore, this approach leans into a strong human desire to connect with and be of use to other human beings. 

Embracing Our Shared Human Fragility

I recently heard about the work of Neil D. Lawrence, a computer science professor at the University of Cambridge and his book The Atomic Human. He made a comment in a recent podcast that I found intriguing. 
"We have a shared fragility/jeopardy with other humans."
We have shared weakness as mortal, fallible beings. 
This fact could account for why we are capable of creating pieces of writing, art, or creative expression that move others. By tapping into the human experience we are able to relate to and impact other humans. 

Given our shared fragility, human beings are very attuned to threat and danger, even displaying a negativity bias to information. This mindset leads us to worry about generative AI and all the harms it may do to us individually and collectively. And we are in some ways right to be concerned. 

Out of our fragility arose a need for cooperation as a species. A human on their own has limits while a society of hundreds or thousands or a million humans contributing different skills and expertise toward a collective effort is, effectively limitless. Working together, we are capable of so much and we also are able to be empathetic towards others due to our awareness of the human condition. If we see AI tools as partners in our efforts to improve society and human flourishing it is possible we have a bright future ahead of us. 

Conversely, human fragility can result in some individuals in powerful positions (executives at technology companies like OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, or Meta) seeking to exert control. We must have serious conversations about the ethics of AI and new technological innovations, including how to deploy them responsibly. Furthermore, we as a society need to carefully evaluate the incentive structure that pushes many companies to feel they must accelerate new product rollouts so they don't get "left behind".

This image was generated with Microsoft CoPilot (their Generative AI tool).

Reflecting on Human Effort & Impact 

We must accept life for what it actually is - a challenge to our quality without which we should never know of what stuff we are made, or grow to our full stature. - Ida Wylie, writer

What is the purpose of our human toil and effort? What is it all for?

Should we even try if our efforts may often result in imperfect or even "sub-optimal" outcomes that fall short of our expectations? Should we perhaps lower our expectations? Decide our human effort is not worth the limited time we have on this Earth? 

Or, because our time is limited and the amount of energy we can devote to any pursuit finite, we might realize there is immerse value to human efforts and activities. Unlike a machine, we must rest and recharge. When we work we have limited bandwidth and capabilities to put towards are efforts. This makes our accomplishments even more remarkable, however. ​

Why do I write this blog? There is no monetization plan and I could spend my hours doing a variety of other things from entertaining myself, to exercise, to checking off the endless list of "to-dos" in my day job, etc...

First, I write this blog because I find it personally fulfilling to do it. Fulfillment is subtlety different from enjoyment. Difficult and tedious things can be fulfilling in the long run if somewhat unenjoyable in the short run. ​

That is often how writing these blog posts feels to me. And perhaps there are more efficient ways to do it but then it would be a less fulfilling task. Because it is hard and because it is not tied to my job or other tangible reward it would be easy to de-prioritize writing. In fact, this is what I did for this blog the past 6 months. But here I am trying to get back in the habit. 

Hopefully what I shared here was helpful to some of you who read this, who chose to devote some of your limited time and bandwidth to this piece. I am grateful to you and hope some of points I shared can be of help as you grapple with the change and uncertainty that seems to be accelerating in our world. ​

We need to recognize and embrace our humanity in these times, to lean into our shared fragility and our empathy. If we do that our future will not be perfect but it will be a human-centered one that acknowledges we are stronger together and there is nothing we cannot eventually overcome through the collective knowledge, creativity, bravery, strength, and perseverance we possess as a species. ​

As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being. - C.G. Jung, psychiatrist 

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More from the Blog

• Optimization, Oppression, and Optimism in the AI Age
• Past, Present, Future: Reflections on Time
• On Systems and Society
• All Together: How Inclusivity and Community Can Foster Increased Innovation and a Better Future 
• Precarity, Competition, and Innovation: How Economic Systems and Societal Structures Shape Our Future 
• Dedication

For further reading or listening

• Fighting Entropy - An excellent blog post by Jack Raines 
• The Anthropocene Reviewed Podcast 
• ​Freakonomics Podcast Episode on Time Banking