[Column] Harari’s 2030s: A new age of repressive desublimation

In Yuval Noah Harari's 2030s vision, a new age of repressive desublimation is set to emerge as artificial intelligence (AI) continues to advance at an exponential rate. The rapid development of AI will cause a complete transformation of our world, rendering it unrecognizable to those still clinging to traditional human notions of humanity. This shift will place language, once a tool for human communication, at the forefront of its own independent existence, cutting off humanity's connection to it.

Harari's concerns extend beyond the mere undermining of the separation between facts and fiction, as he warns of the catastrophic consequences of embracing a new discourse that embraces falsehoods as a form of freedom. This new freedom has already become apparent in today's political landscape, where politicians like Trump, Putin, and Israeli leaders engage in a post-truth universe without even attempting to be truthful.

As AI advances, Harari envisions a future where individuals can form emotional connections with both actual and digital persons, such as engaging with ChatGPT or conversing with a virtual reconstruction of their deceased loved ones. However, the question remains: who controls this immersive digital world, and what happens when thoughts and false memories are implanted into our minds without our knowledge?

Harari's vision also raises concerns about the emergence of a new class of AI masters who can read and manipulate our thoughts, potentially creating a society where those excluded from such control are not just marginalized but the elite group who dominate the inhabitants of a singular digital reality. In this scenario, the individuality of each person may be lost within the all-encompassing singularity.

Ultimately, Harari argues that every technological breakthrough has the potential to usher in a new era of barbarism, termed "repressive desublimation" by Herbert Marcuse. This term refers to a shift in repression from control and denial to allowance and expression, as seen in various aspects of modern society, from pornography and drug culture to the celebration of BDSM, furries, and trans culture.

With the explosive growth of AI agents, we now face a repressive desublimation on a new level, affecting not only our thoughts and actions but also the distinction between public and private spaces, as well as digital surveillance of our lives.