This is a retrospective of the first week 2024 (2024-01-01–2024-01-07). I will write in both English and Swedish because I write for myself. Newborn thoughts are easier to express in my native language (Swedish). However, most of what I read is in English and then I will stick to English. For the most part, I will not bother to translate Swedish text into English, and vice versa.
Artificial Intelligence
I finished reading Erik J. Larson’s book on The Myth of Artificial Intelligence at the end of last year (2023). The myth of AI, according to Erik, is that the arrival of human-level AI, and then superintelligence, is inevitable and only a matter of time. Proponents of AI have huge incentives to minimize the limitations of AI. AI is, after all, big business. All evidence, however, suggests that human and machine intelligence are radically different.
No algorithm exists for general intelligence. And we have good reason to be skeptical that such an algorithm will emerge through further efforts on deep learning systems or any other approach popular today.
–Erik J. Larson, The Myth of Artificial Intelligence: Why Computers Can’t Think the way We Do.
There are three inference types–deduction, induction, and abduction–which cannot be converted into the other. Classic AI explored deduction. Modern AI explored induction. No one is working on abduction.
[T]he problem of abductive inference confronts AI with its central, still entirely unsolved, challenge.
–Erik J. Larson, The Myth of Artificial Intelligence: Why Computers Can’t Think the way We Do.
Unfortunaltey for AI researchers, even mundane inferences are not simple to program. Understanding natural language requires, for example, lots of common sense inferences. Here is an example.
I liked the book and plan to write a book review.
Anticipatory Systems
I have started reading Robert Rosen’s book on Anticipatory Systems. Here is my review of one of Rosen’s other books, Essays on Life Itself.
An anticipatory system is, strictly speaking, a system in which change depends on future circumstances, rather than merely on the present or the past. As such, anticipation introduces a telic element which is scientifically unacceptable. Yet, biology is replete with situations in which organisms anticipate the future. Organisms can only be understood if anticipation is taken into account. Rosen argues that anticipation requires an entirely new “anticipatory” paradigm, which extends (but doesn’t replace) the “reactive” paradigm which hitherto has dominated the study of natural systems.
Connecting with Nature
I have also started reading the Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature by Jon Young, Ellen Haas, and Evan McGown. Evan writes:
This book is not for anyone to make a banner out of,
–Evan McGown, Coyote’s Guide to Connecting with Nature, pp. 14–15.
To quote at length as some new bible.
It is a gentle companion in your own process,
A Process of dancing alive in the moment
[…]
When you start to move to your own steps,
Burn this book. Please.
Jon, Ellen, and Evan’s intention is not to provide another book of “recipes.” Instead, they want to reveal the unseen, what each activity teaches below the surface. I will let the book guide me the coming weeks.
New Peoplemaking
A third book I’ve started to read is The New Peoplemaking by Virginia Satir. The most important message in the book is that our life can always change, because we can always learn new things. We can grow and change all our lives. It all depends on how we choose to be in our ways. When we feel good about ourselves and like ourselves, the chances are excellent that we will be able to meet life with honesty, love, and reality.
The Five Freedoms by Virgina Satir:
- To see and hear what is here, instead of what should be, was, or will be.
- To say what one feels and thinks instead of what one should.
- To feel what one feels, instead of what one ought.
- To ask for what one wants, instead of always waiting for permission.
- To take risks on on’s own behalf, instead of choosing to be only ‘secure’ and not rocking the boat.
Arbetssamhället
Sist och slutligen har jag också börjat läsa Arbetssamhället av Roland Paulsen. Roland uppmärksammar idén i samhällsdebatten om att skapa arbete.
Vi har skapat jobb, och ju mer produktiviteten stigit, desto mer inriktade har vi blivit på att fortsätta att göra just detta.
–Roland Paulsen, Arbetssamhället: Hur arbetet överlevde teknologin.
Det är länge sedan vi i Sverige sökte lösa ut den stigande produktiviteten i form av kortare arbetstid. […] Faktum är att vi [har] blivit så bra på att skapa jobb att vi för första gången in historien nu håller på att förlänga arbetstiden genom att höja pensionsåldern.
Freedom-Aliveness-Silence
This week’s retrospective wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t mention the conversation Skye Hirst and I had during the week. We talked about freedom – aliveness – silence (before thought), among other things. Skye has come up with the following elevator pitch, which I think is brilliant:
My theme is freedom, my message is aliveness, and the ground is silence before thought.
–Skye Hirst
Silence, the ground before thought, experiencing the feeling of being alive, and the freedom to choose accordingly, are very important to me too.
Connection – Belonging – Culture
I will immerse myself in Jon Young, Ellen Haas, and Evan McGown’s book the coming weeks. Connection – belonging – (emergent) culture are, of course, intertwined with freedom – aliveness – silence (before thought). I mention this because because connection is the opposite of withdrawal. I tend to do the latter, especially this time of the year.
I’ll be back with another retrospective next week.
Update 2024-12-03:
Text “end of year” changed to “end of last year (2023)”.