Harari examines how various advancements in information sharing—the advent of the written word, the invention of the printing press, telegrams, radio, and the internet—have shaped religion, enabled political systems, and driven dark episodes from (literal) European witch hunts to the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol.
This context builds to a discussion about the impact AI will have as a new (perhaps ultimate) information system. And while Harari acknowledges that some good will come of advanced AI, he is ultimately crafting a warning—that leaps in information sharing lead to upheaval, and that this is a particularly big leap that must be controlled before it’s too late.
What Book Club Thought
It’s safe to say “a little freaked out” was among the prevailing sentiments.