While what is happening in Chongqing is amazing, I cannot help but hear Ivan Illich's voice admonishing us 'that just because we can do something, doesn't necessarily mean we should do it'. To me, what is occurring is, on the one hand, technological progress but, on the other, dehumanizing - soon humanity will be homogenized into no more than non-thinking flesh and blood robots, enslaved to machines and the 1%.
Fear of the new AI revolution I think is certainly warranted, though I think the main issue will not be control or enslavement, but rather replacement. AI is already replacing journalists and drivers, and any white-collar job which deals primarily with information will be under threat of replacement next. In a globally competitive market, the question of if we should pursue AI is almost moot as long as it continues to make humans more productive. The real question is how we utilize it and deal with the repercussions of replacing a large portion of the human workforce.
I think China as a communist country with firm control over its distribution of resources and its own companies is best positioned to reap the rewards and mitigate the negative effects of the upcoming AI revolution.
Superb report! In the US, I have some reservations about AI. First is the training data for General Intelligence. I suspect the developers scanning of Internet drivel will produce garbage and might be the reason for AI 'hallucinations'. Second is the power consumption. At least the US AI platforms are greedy users of energy and so far, high-energy usage corresponds to high-pollution. Third is the finance capital system that engenders AI. I fear that AI will just be another rent-seeking opportunity for the owning class. Perhaps Chinese AI will not suffer from these pitfalls.
I have no problem with the state building what it wants to build...if 1) citizens are an integral part of the state, and 2) if citizens are careful not to get too psyched up about nationalism. Of course, the way things have been going, when the Chinese consider some instigated color revolution happening it would only be natural to resort to pumping up ones own nationalism. This article and these comments had me searching AI-looking-for-dissent-on-social-media. And there's a lot out there on that subject for sure. Thanks Patrick for allowing Guy Mettan to wake me up more up to that! And to those here also who "spoke" on the phenomenon
Speaking of a lot, the only remedy that has popped up in history for standing down abstract institutions too carried away with themselves...is bigger groups of HUMANS who inject themselves into the smaller group of ruling HUMANS? It seems the fewer humans involved in giving it direction the more an abstract institution seeks to determine its own path itself. Some of China's new bridges make ours look insignificant [what can one expect from a nation cannibalizing itself?] but maybe we should ask ourselves if the thing that's stoking them up is the same thing that stoked us up through a whole long era. And, if you put electronics [AI + social media] behind it at the beginning, that's like giving it gas to run four more centuries than ours managed to run?
Eleanor mentioned Illich [his "Ethics of the Gaze" thing I relate to Rupert Sheldrake], and somehow I just remembered something I read in another age about him going to Cuba. I find Cuba interesting, and Kerala interesting, and what a conservationist in India is saying interesting.
The creativity of humongus institutions is experienced by a few at the top [Henry Ford, Musk...] but my theory is the bigger they are the more they disallow creativity for bigger numbers at the bottom [like right now we have the cannibalizers on Wall St]. Keep them frustrated enough, and they'll organize only poorly. But China will say to me: Whoever came up with the idea for the Travel-lite [4 lb] guitar, WE were the ones who made enough of'em so that YOU could afford one! [barely]
China has already surpassed the US in EV, AI and other technology of all kinds. It has both the population and the desire to excel in everything it puts its collective mind to. It doesn't waste either its human resources or its treasury on regime changes, invasions and violence worldwide. It is a positive model of what a future world might aspire to. It is everything the US isn't and that's a very good thing!
I agree whole-heartedly, the unconscionable slaughter in Gaza has opened my eyes to just how evil, corrupt and destructive modern democracies can be. I'm done with freedom and democracy entirely, give me communist China with its stable, peaceful government working towards a brighter future for all its citizens!
I've moved what little money I have to investments in China, this place is truly the bright future of humanity.
This is a joke, right? Because I'm laughing. Voting makes no different in the U.S. and we certainly don't have meaningful choices. One genocide supporter vs. another genocide supporter...??? How is that a choice? I'm genuinely curious and don't mean any disrespect. Thanks.
Voting makes no difference in the US because the people only have a choice of two Parties to select and unfortunately the Parties are both warmongering.
I have come to the conclusion that voting makes no difference because people, by and large, are easily influenced by mass media. So to run a successful "democratic" presidential campaign in America, you need 100's of millions of dollars to spend on media. You get that money from rich people, you promise them favors in return, and so democracy de-facto becomes an oligarchy, rule by the rich.
The people's role in a democracy is to be fooled by multi-million dollar media campaigns that promise them everything and deliver practically nothing.
Question. I was wondering if there are many US students taking advantage of the Chinese educational experience. And if so, how do they fare? What is clear is we should be learning how things work over there.
Funnily enough I became aware of Chongqing from a very funny Trump impersonator on Instagram. He does some coverage of the city which led me to explore it further. Quite the place.
Great insight, and a different perspective, for Westerners who consume only corporate media propaganda. Of course, hidden in there are the glimpses of the strong arm of the Chinese state, e.g.
"It has facilitated the instant management of urban flows **thanks to data provided by surveillance cameras**..."
which they will be only to quick to latch on to; ironic really, given their indifference to their tracking by "social media" companies, the control of their politics and media by billionaire oligarchs etc.
We do in fact live in a "brave, new world" in both the positive and negative senses of that phrase.
While what is happening in Chongqing is amazing, I cannot help but hear Ivan Illich's voice admonishing us 'that just because we can do something, doesn't necessarily mean we should do it'. To me, what is occurring is, on the one hand, technological progress but, on the other, dehumanizing - soon humanity will be homogenized into no more than non-thinking flesh and blood robots, enslaved to machines and the 1%.
Fear of the new AI revolution I think is certainly warranted, though I think the main issue will not be control or enslavement, but rather replacement. AI is already replacing journalists and drivers, and any white-collar job which deals primarily with information will be under threat of replacement next. In a globally competitive market, the question of if we should pursue AI is almost moot as long as it continues to make humans more productive. The real question is how we utilize it and deal with the repercussions of replacing a large portion of the human workforce.
I think China as a communist country with firm control over its distribution of resources and its own companies is best positioned to reap the rewards and mitigate the negative effects of the upcoming AI revolution.
Superb report! In the US, I have some reservations about AI. First is the training data for General Intelligence. I suspect the developers scanning of Internet drivel will produce garbage and might be the reason for AI 'hallucinations'. Second is the power consumption. At least the US AI platforms are greedy users of energy and so far, high-energy usage corresponds to high-pollution. Third is the finance capital system that engenders AI. I fear that AI will just be another rent-seeking opportunity for the owning class. Perhaps Chinese AI will not suffer from these pitfalls.
I have no problem with the state building what it wants to build...if 1) citizens are an integral part of the state, and 2) if citizens are careful not to get too psyched up about nationalism. Of course, the way things have been going, when the Chinese consider some instigated color revolution happening it would only be natural to resort to pumping up ones own nationalism. This article and these comments had me searching AI-looking-for-dissent-on-social-media. And there's a lot out there on that subject for sure. Thanks Patrick for allowing Guy Mettan to wake me up more up to that! And to those here also who "spoke" on the phenomenon
Speaking of a lot, the only remedy that has popped up in history for standing down abstract institutions too carried away with themselves...is bigger groups of HUMANS who inject themselves into the smaller group of ruling HUMANS? It seems the fewer humans involved in giving it direction the more an abstract institution seeks to determine its own path itself. Some of China's new bridges make ours look insignificant [what can one expect from a nation cannibalizing itself?] but maybe we should ask ourselves if the thing that's stoking them up is the same thing that stoked us up through a whole long era. And, if you put electronics [AI + social media] behind it at the beginning, that's like giving it gas to run four more centuries than ours managed to run?
Eleanor mentioned Illich [his "Ethics of the Gaze" thing I relate to Rupert Sheldrake], and somehow I just remembered something I read in another age about him going to Cuba. I find Cuba interesting, and Kerala interesting, and what a conservationist in India is saying interesting.
The creativity of humongus institutions is experienced by a few at the top [Henry Ford, Musk...] but my theory is the bigger they are the more they disallow creativity for bigger numbers at the bottom [like right now we have the cannibalizers on Wall St]. Keep them frustrated enough, and they'll organize only poorly. But China will say to me: Whoever came up with the idea for the Travel-lite [4 lb] guitar, WE were the ones who made enough of'em so that YOU could afford one! [barely]
Forgot to include this. https://www.middleeasteye.net/opinion/china-quietly-aiding-israels-settlement-enterprise-how
China has already surpassed the US in EV, AI and other technology of all kinds. It has both the population and the desire to excel in everything it puts its collective mind to. It doesn't waste either its human resources or its treasury on regime changes, invasions and violence worldwide. It is a positive model of what a future world might aspire to. It is everything the US isn't and that's a very good thing!
I agree whole-heartedly, the unconscionable slaughter in Gaza has opened my eyes to just how evil, corrupt and destructive modern democracies can be. I'm done with freedom and democracy entirely, give me communist China with its stable, peaceful government working towards a brighter future for all its citizens!
I've moved what little money I have to investments in China, this place is truly the bright future of humanity.
I detest Communism because it doesn't allow the people a choice when voting. Cure that problem and we can talk about its benefits.
This is a joke, right? Because I'm laughing. Voting makes no different in the U.S. and we certainly don't have meaningful choices. One genocide supporter vs. another genocide supporter...??? How is that a choice? I'm genuinely curious and don't mean any disrespect. Thanks.
Voting makes no difference in the US because the people only have a choice of two Parties to select and unfortunately the Parties are both warmongering.
I have come to the conclusion that voting makes no difference because people, by and large, are easily influenced by mass media. So to run a successful "democratic" presidential campaign in America, you need 100's of millions of dollars to spend on media. You get that money from rich people, you promise them favors in return, and so democracy de-facto becomes an oligarchy, rule by the rich.
The people's role in a democracy is to be fooled by multi-million dollar media campaigns that promise them everything and deliver practically nothing.
Fascinating? I’d say frightening!
It is fascinating but only frightening to those who fear competition.
Great exposition of a society integrating itself with A.I.. Very grim. This guy is a joke. Complete propaganda report.
I am sure Chongqing as a lot more to offer than this guy suggests, but he is consumed by superficial modes of living. What a shame.
I would like to visit China, and would certainly include Chongqing on the itinerary. Thank you for this very informative report!
Question. I was wondering if there are many US students taking advantage of the Chinese educational experience. And if so, how do they fare? What is clear is we should be learning how things work over there.
Funnily enough I became aware of Chongqing from a very funny Trump impersonator on Instagram. He does some coverage of the city which led me to explore it further. Quite the place.
Great insight, and a different perspective, for Westerners who consume only corporate media propaganda. Of course, hidden in there are the glimpses of the strong arm of the Chinese state, e.g.
"It has facilitated the instant management of urban flows **thanks to data provided by surveillance cameras**..."
which they will be only to quick to latch on to; ironic really, given their indifference to their tracking by "social media" companies, the control of their politics and media by billionaire oligarchs etc.
We do in fact live in a "brave, new world" in both the positive and negative senses of that phrase.