NEXUS (Part 1): Can Democracy Survive the AI Revolution? (with Yuval Noah Harari)
The Next Big Idea
Myth and Ideology Shape Action
To successfully achieve large-scale projects like building an atom bomb, technical knowledge alone is insufficient. The collaboration of many individuals is crucial, and convincing them to participate hinges on the power of mythology or ideology rather than pure scientific facts. Historically, experts in ideology often guide those with scientific expertise, demonstrating that belief systems can outweigh factual knowledge. This trend spans from ancient times to the modern era, where mythology and ideology effectively motivate collective action. Even as scientific understanding provides significant capabilities, it is the narratives constructed by ideological leaders that ultimately direct their application, underscoring the potential for ideologies to overshadow facts while still wielding substantial influence and power.
