Somewhere upon the way of evolution, humans lucked out. We developed language. And we grew hands and fingers that allowed us to manipulate our environment.
But a bigger brain didn’t make us smarter or more conscious than our other animal friends.
Neanderthals had larger brains than humans, as too do dolphins and whales to this day. Despite their cranial superiority, the former died off, homo sapiens thrived, while the fish are confined to the water.
Meanwhile, humans built intricate tools. Says American neuroscientist Christof Koch, “human civilization is all about tools, whether it’s a little stone, an arrow, a bomb, or a computer.”
Given the advancements in technology and artificial intelligence, we may be too smart for our own good. By exploiting tools to think and to operate for us, we’re outsourcing our neurons and developing a kind of robotic consciousness.
Humans have turned into broken machines.
Our jobs make us feel important and shape our identity. What are people going to do when we no longer have to work and have bundles of free time instead?
Some of us may procrastinate and lounge while others will want to play like children with crayons again. We just might art ourselves back into life.
