Artificial Intelligence is an Integral Part of Modern Society.

There are many definitions of artificial intelligence. One is any system that provides guidance using logical decision-making rules rather than relying on random processes. Under such a definition, artificial intelligence is an integral part of modern society.

Imagine you are at the wheel of a car. You have been driving for a while and have become so comfortable that you have started to let the car’s advanced autopilot features take over. It is a smooth ride, but you suddenly notice the car approaching a cliff. You try to steer away, but the autopilot, following its programmed instructions, resists. This is similar to our current situation with what we can metaphorically call ‘Moloch‘.

Unlike the car’s autopilot in the above metaphor, nobody intentionally created Moloch. It is an aspect of the systems we have made. I suggest this is what Adam Smith was referring to when, in the “Wealth of Nations”, he wrote about natural forces that guided self-interest to fulfil society’s needs on its own, without government intervention, as the “invisible hand“.

Moloch is not a physical entity. No individual created it to control society, but it comes from the intelligence we have made through our societal, economic, and technological systems. Like the autopilot, these systems were designed with specific goals – efficiency, growth, and progress. And for a while, they were taking us in the right direction.

They, the systems we created, have flaws. We were, and many still are, blind to them, seduced by the benefits that modern life has bestowed upon us. Our efforts to respond to our problems have not produced the desired outcomes and often inadvertently exacerbate or create others.

But now, we’re starting to see the cliff edge. The environmental crisis, climate change, social inequality, political polarisation—these are all warning signs that our trajectory is unsustainable. Yet, changing course is proving difficult. Why? Because Moloch, this autopilot intelligence we’ve created, is locked into its programming. It’s driving us based on outdated maps and objectives, unable to adapt to our new realities.

The challenge before us, then, is twofold. First, we need to recognise that we’re not just passengers in this car; we’re also the programmers. The systems driving us are human-made, and they can be human-changed. Second, we need to figure out how to update Moloch’s programming and redesign our systems to prioritise not just growth and efficiency but also sustainability, equity, and long-term resilience.

Our efforts in the past have been doomed to failure because we did not recognise that everything is connected. Recognising this, we can do better. We can find solutions.

It is a daunting task. However, it is also an opportunity for a new kind of evolution – one where we learn to drive in harmony with the world around us rather than towards a cliff.

There are many examples of people writing and talking about this. People are responding and coming together to address these issues. However, there is an urgency to do more. Below is a list of just some of the examples I have found. Please look at these examples, research, and learn more about them.

The Venus Project focuses on developing a methodology that will permit the construction of human habitats capable of accommodating any fluctuation in resource constraints and resilient to any catastrophic event.

The Consilience Project publishes novel research at the cutting edge of global risk mitigation, governance design, and culture. It explores humanity’s key challenges and existential threats and the underlying problems with current approaches to addressing them.

The Great Simplification with Nate Hagens is a podcast that explores the systems science behind the human predicament. Conversation topics span human behaviour, monetary/economic systems, energy, ecology, geopolitics, and the environment. The show aims to inform more people about the path ahead and inspire them to play a role in our collective future.

The Post Growth Institute is an international, not-for-profit organisation that works to enable collective well-being within ecological limits.

Degrowth challenges the global capitalist system, which prioritises growth with little regard to the cost, causing human exploitation and environmental destruction. We can create a society that values care, solidarity, and autonomy by prioritising social and ecological well-being over corporate profits. This requires reducing the material size of the global economy, redistributing resources, and shifting our shared values.

Doughnut Economics was developed by Kate Raworth to address the shortcomings of 20^th-century economics. It aims to meet the needs of all people within the means of the living planet; in other words, get into the Doughnut. How can humanity get there?

The starting point of Doughnut Economics is to change the goal from endless GDP growth to thriving in the Doughnut. At the same time, see the big picture by recognising that the economy is embedded within and dependent upon society and the living world. Doughnut Economics recognises that human behaviour can be nurtured to be cooperative and caring, just as it can be competitive and individualistic.