I succeeded in reading close to half of Yuval Noah Harari’s book „21 Lessons for the 21st Century“.
I failed to continue.
It was just too much. I went into a „tech depression“. Not really helpful looking at my job profile.
That was 4 years ago.
I recovered. Picked up my good spirits.
Looked deep into my backpack of the good things I gathered along my childhood and youth. The love, compassion and open spirit my social surroundings and especially my parents gave to me – a gift that is eternally indestructible and ingrained into my soul.
Reminded myself of the immaculate mystery that we are all a part of.
Reminded myself of the journey I promised to document as I trail through this unique life. I mean, after all: what were the odds?
Reminded myself of the things beyond tech and hardware and software and systems and processes and the funny, glittering, colorful gadgets that come and go as we age.
I re-focused on the truly valuable things in life.
I returned to the world a tiny bit wiser, more aware of the ying and yang of what it means to be passionate about things and that you can still be passionate while still keeping a professional distance.
Things formed a new synthesis of previously incompatible contradictions.
So, today I see the good and the bad we put forth into this world by our very own decisions – each of us – and I try calling it out as we go, be reasonable, constructive and at times maybe a little bit too deep into all that stuff that comes flying towards my radar.
Looking at where we stand about a year after Artificial Intelligence slammed onto the radar of almost everyone globally with the rise of chatGPT and numerous other AI infused technologies, gadgets and systems I think it’s time to start a serious conversation, globally, where we stand today and where we want to go next – as a species, as humans. It will have to be uncompromisingly inclusive to succeed. There is no fast tracking this challenge. There has to be a new social contract among all of us.
As I highly respect both Stephen Fry and Nick Cave the video below hits a nerve in so many ways I could write an entire editorial about it.
But to me, one thing is clear: We have a lot of work ahead of us. 2024 will be a pivotal year for humankind – and I do not say this lightly.
We will have to grow the F%&$ up.
It’s now or never.