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Kevin Folz's avatar

I have been observing the rapid acceleration of this digital infrastructure, or “internet-of-bodies”, with some level of interest for a while now. It occurred to me recently that a critical point has arrived, in which an inner choice must now be made in terms of how we face the tidal wave of technocracy looming overhead. Whereas up until this point, I could glean the stirrings of a difficult road ahead for humanity, it seems to me that the signs of it are now impossible to ignore with digital surveillance, “real IDs”, AI tech-theology, etc.

I reckon that most will be too distracted or care to notice the implications of the technological terraforming happening everywhere. Or too addicted to it…

I was sent this video essay the other day, which is a re-telling of Plato’s famous allegory, but told through the lens of how a technocratic world effectively hijacks the human bio-chemical system to make us addicted to it. It really helped me see the situation that confronts us now. I think it’s worth considering. https://youtu.be/uY2P_Kgi0w0?si=fr4y09DPo2C72AUb

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Kingsley L. Dennis's avatar

Thanks Kevin.... yes, as you say, this looming techno direction for humanity is now difficult to ignore - and once seen it cannot be unseen. I would say it is obvious for anyone with eyes to see. So choices will indeed have to be made; and discernment too. Many will either be too distracted or too caught up in the net to be able to make effective choices. It is indeed a new form of Plato's Cave - an insightful video!

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Saxxon Creative's avatar

Unfortunately I percieve based on previous history of technology is that an a.i war is inevitable to canonise it into a historical trope. Ergo outcome is some medical breakthrough as in various experimental treatments used in world war 2. So yeh... the hubris of mechanisation to the hubris of digitalisation. Entropy is the nature of all things in physical materium. So we must prepare and accept some post A.i apocalypse digital hospital of the future.

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Kingsley L. Dennis's avatar

We may have the two energetic strands of hubris and entropy battling it out ... which force is the stronger??

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Saxxon Creative's avatar

Yes the digital battle for resurrection.

Harvesting the global thought to reanimate the promethean fire, so man and machine can transcend life and death.

A FrankenChrist of server farms scraping human thought to make a Lazarus of Silicon Bethany.

The force of its origin is electricity, yet no one has been able to prove reality as they have never seen the opposite. Power is a hallucination as is the fragments of life captured on a screen.

Or are the indigenous Australians right, we all head towards the dreaming, and the dreamtime will rule supreme.

https://open.substack.com/pub/saxxon/p/frankenchrist-revisited-the-digital?r=1u8tu3&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

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Kingsley L. Dennis's avatar

Indeed - these techno-metabarons are utilising electricity (sub-natural light) to animate their creations like a machinic Lazarus....

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Saxxon Creative's avatar

Manfred von Richthofen could now be incarnate as Musk von Richtoffer

And you know what toffer means...

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Gor's avatar

We are indeed on the Threshold Kingsley… Follow the Money

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Kingsley L. Dennis's avatar

As always, look out for those who are shouting the loudest .... 'Show me the money!!'

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Gor's avatar

AI for Profits not Prophets…👎

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Catharina Van Leeuwen's avatar

Well, I am afraid that I won't walk with the Scientific Materialist Fanfares! And I'll swear this under oath if need be! :-)))

I am thankful for the essaye by psychiatrist and philosopher Dr. Iain McGilchrist, thank you Kingsley.

Cheers and blessings, - Catharina

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Kingsley L. Dennis's avatar

Yes... the materialist path is ultimately a lonely one ... McGilchrist is doing great work!

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