Has AI hacked the operating system of human civilisation? Yuval Noah Harari sounds a warning

Just as artificial intelligence (AI) models are trained on vast data sets to learn and predict, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow have trained us to expect disruptive ideas from bestselling historian Yuval Noah Harari.

His latest book, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI, is a sweeping exploration of the history and future of human networks. Harari draws on a wide range of historical and contemporary examples to illustrate how information has shaped, and continues to shape, human societies.

Review: Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI – Yuval Noah Harari (Fern Press)

Building on the foundation laid in Sapiens, where Harari explored the cognitive revolution that gave humans the unique ability to create shared myths and narratives, Nexus shifts the focus to how these narratives are transmitted, maintained and transformed through networks of information.

Central to this new book is Harari’s argument that AI represents a radical new force in the development of human civilisation, a theme he also explored in a 2023 article on AI’s capacity to manipulate language, culture and society. The article, which warned that AI has “hacked the operating system of human civilisation”, provides a critical lens through which to examine Nexus.

The book covers an immense span of history, from the emergence of Homo sapiens and their interaction with Neanderthals to the advent of Neuralink (an implant that allows users to communicate with computers by thought alone) and the possible implications of AI for the future of human civilisation.

Harari takes readers on a journey across millennia, and his ability to sustain a coherent argument about the centrality of information networks is one of the book’s greatest strengths. The connections he draws between ancient history and modern technology challenge readers to rethink how they understand both past and present.

The narrative at times verges on arrogance, as Harari asserts links between seemingly disparate events and phenomena under the broad umbrella of “networks”. But this boldness is what I suspect will make Nexus compelling to some readers. Indeed, whether you agree or disagree with Harari, he provides another argument why the teaching and learning of history is essential to humanity’s survival.

History – Harari reminds us forcefully – offers valuable lessons in ethics and morality by highlighting the consequences of human actions. It challenges us to consider the moral implications of decisions made by leaders and ordinary people alike. It challenges us to reflect on our own choices.

The bedrock of human cooperation

At the heart of Nexus is the idea that networks – whether social, political, economic or technological – are the bedrock of human cooperation and power. Harari argues that the strength of human societies has always come from their ability to create and sustain networks of information. These, in turn, allow large-scale collaboration and the distribution of resources, knowledge and authority.

The argument extends beyond the physical networks of roads, trade routes and institutions. It includes intangible networks of shared beliefs, cultural narratives and laws. Harari highlights the role of storytelling, a key theme in Sapiens, in the creation of these networks. He shows how the ability to communicate and reinforce abstract ideas like government, religion and money has been fundamental to human progress.

But Nexus is not just a history of networks. It is also a cautionary tale about the dangers posed by the most advanced and rapidly evolving networks in today’s world: AI and other forms of digital technology. Harari’s critique of AI is particularly forceful. He sees it as a new kind of intelligence – what he provocatively calls “alien intelligence” – that could potentially operate beyond human control.

This is where the book’s central theme becomes most urgent. The networks that have served humanity so well in the past, enabling unprecedented levels of cooperation and progress, are now at risk of becoming too complex and opaque for humans to fully manage. AI, Harari warns, is not simply a tool that we use; it can make decisions and generate new knowledge independently. Its rise could fundamentally alter the structure of human society. This is why Harari argues for its regulation and control.

The analysis of AI in Nexus is built on historical lessons. Harari draws on examples ranging from ancient myth to recent technological advancements. He uses the case of AlphaGo, which in 2016 became the first AI capable of defeating Lee Sedol, the world champion of Go, a strategic board game that for millennia had been seen as a domain where human intuition and creativity would always reign supreme.

The example illustrates how AI has already begun to outstrip human understanding. Even the creators of AlphaGo could not fully explain the reasoning behind some of its moves.

This “alien” nature of AI, which Harari contrasts with previous human inventions like the steam engine or the computer, presents a new kind of challenge. It is not clear whether humans will be able to maintain control over the systems they have created.

AI, power and the future of human networks

In his signature style, Harari connects this theme to broader political and social concerns, particularly the rise of authoritarianism and populism. He argues that as AI becomes more integrated into decision-making processes – from determining who gets a loan to who is targeted in a military strike – the transparency and accountability of these processes will erode. This poses a fundamental threat to democracy, as citizens may no longer be able to understand or challenge the forces shaping their lives.

Harari also touches on the possible extinction of humanity. But before this could happen, he envisions a future where AI-driven networks entrench existing inequalities, with powerful tech companies and governments using AI to consolidate control over information and resources.

In drawing connections between the ancient world and the digital age, Harari revisits some of the key arguments from his earlier works, particularly Sapiens. Like Sapiens, Nexus explores the role of shared myths and collective fictions in human history, but it places greater emphasis on the mechanisms that maintain and transmit these stories. This focus on the material and information networks that underpin human societies allows Harari to offer a fresh perspective on familiar themes.

Harari considers the future of these networks. He envisions a world where AI-driven systems could reshape not only human societies, but the entire biosphere, potentially creating new forms of life and intelligence. He warns that the rise of AI could mark a turning point in human history, one where humans lose control over the networks that have been their greatest source of power.

This futuristic perspective aligns Nexus with Harari’s other speculative work, Homo Deus, which similarly examines the potential consequences of technological advances for the future of humanity.

Homo Deus often ventured into gloomy territory, but Nexus remains grounded in historical analysis. Harari’s use of concrete historical examples, from the invention of the printing press to the rise of global empires, anchors his arguments, making Nexus feel more balanced and less alarmist than some of his previous works – though its warnings are no less urgent.

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A call to action

One of the few criticisms that can be made of Nexus is its tendency to oversimplify complex historical processes in the service of its central thesis. Harari’s attempt to fit all of human history into a framework of information networks, while intellectually stimulating, can sometimes feel reductive.

For example, his analysis of religious texts as mere tools of social control overlooks the rich diversity of interpretations and the deeply personal spiritual experiences that have shaped religious traditions. Similarly, his portrayal of bureaucratic systems as purely instrumental in maintaining power glosses over the ways in which these systems have enabled social mobility and the protection of individual rights.

Despite these occasional oversimplifications, Nexus remains a thought-provoking call to action. It provides a sweeping overview of the history of information networks, while delivering a powerful warning about the future. Harari’s linking of ancient history with the most pressing technological and political challenges of the 21st century provides a framework for understanding the risks and opportunities posed by rapidly advancing technology.

One unsettling thought arises. Harari, an atheist who argues that religions are collective human fictions, appears to suggest something evident to many: AI created by humans can never possess a soul, in the sense of a uniquely human drive for creativity. The consequence of this argument is that AI, no matter how advanced, would lack the intrinsic human qualities that drive creativity, emotion, ethical and moral reasoning.

Nexus is ambitious, bold and at times, unsettling. It does not offer solutions that are easily within our grasp. But it challenges readers to think critically about what governs our lives and the ways AI could transform them. For anyone interested in the intersection of history, technology and power, Harari once again provokes deep thought.