Emulating the Human Bond: The Impact of AI on Our Relationship With Nature
Exploring relationship between humans, nature and AI. Arguing that there is a universal recognition of our interconnectedness with the natural world. And it ought to be preserved.
The relationship between the human condition and technology is a complex and ever-evolving one. From the earliest tools used by our ancient ancestors to the sophisticated digital devices of today, technology has played a crucial role in shaping and defining what it means to be human. As technology continues to advance, it brings with it both new opportunities and problems, challenging us to grapple with the ethical, social, and philosophical implications of our increasing reliance on it.
Misoneism, or the natural fear that humans have about automation, can be traced back to fundamental philosophical concerns about the nature of consciousness, free will, and the human experience. This leads to the question of whether or not the increasing reliance on automation threatens the very essence of what it means to be human.
As the consumption of AI rises, misoneism is a natural response to automation, while the desire for liberation from labor exists as early as recorded history, there is something particularly worrying for a lot of people when something as innovative as stable diffusion (the recently released AI-generated art tool) comes out. This recent surge in AI innovation, from chat generation or image generation, seems a bit more frightening than, say, innovation from the industrial era. While the recent innovations have undoubtedly provided me with a sense of hope, and even joy from the potential to free you from the bounds of labor, I fear our relationship with technology will perhaps impact us for worse.
Interestingly, when one considers the relationship between humans and technology one can equally discern the contexts to which this relationship may imitate.
Several religions, and ideologies, whether Polytheistic, Abrahamic or neo-liberal assert the unity between individuals, plants, animals, and nature as a whole. Whether each respective ideology or religion practices this is not relevant. Instead, I’d like to pay particular attention to the universal ideal that we are immutably in unison with nature.
Whether viewed through a philosophical, spiritual, or artistic lens, mankind has looked to nature as a consistent source of knowledge and insight. Abrahamic traditions often emphasize the concept of God as a creator of the natural world, with humans acting as stewards of the earth and its resources. In Hinduism, the concept of karma is tied to the natural world, where actions and their consequences are embedded and influence each other. In ancient Greece, philosophers such as Aristotle and Plato believed that the natural world was a reflection of a higher, ideal realm and that studying nature could lead to a better understanding of the universe and our place within it. In several indigenous cultures, nature is a sacred, living entity that is interconnected with all beings that they view as a source of wisdom and guidance. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Romantic movement in art and literature paid particular attention to the emotional and spiritual connections between humans and nature, often portraying nature as a source of inspiration, beauty, and spiritual growth.
This unity can be understood in a variety of ways. Ultimately it provides a systemic array of evidence that we innately in some shape or form believe in the interconnectedness with the natural world.
Of course, one might argue modernity was notable for stipulating nature per our needs, manipulating it, and abusing it for our desires. This shift in governing and individual attitude still remains consistent to the idea that we are mere products of the world around us– and whether we respect or exploit it. Consider common buzzwords like “renewable energy”, and “sustainably sourced” all of which are quite popular in marketing regardless of whether or not any of these words truly offer alternative solutions to our current paradigm or exploitative tendencies. I digress.
Provided that most of mankind holds alignment in our perceived relationship with nature, and general ontology, it would render useful to consider why that is. Nature is revealing. It has provided us with immutable physical constraints and phenomenological comfort. The very idea that we may seek solace in the earthly matters around us is quite persistent, even in urban settings. This is easily illustrated through the story behind the creation of public parks in the United States.
In urban cities like Boston, Massachusetts there ceased to exist public parks. Prior to the establishment of parks, Boston created its very first cemetery, where residents would visit families. Quickly, even those with no relatives or friends buried at the cemetery would pay frequent visits to the graveyards. Perhaps it was the witnessing of the cyclical death and re-birth of the leaves that belonged to the weeping willow tree, or the gravestones of those who passed that attracted so many Boston residents to the cemetery. Regardless, the public space that integrated trees, squirrels, and the decomposing bodies of local residents in the midst of an urban setting was a huge hit. Namely, because residents found that when concentrated in nature and confronting death, universal truths were revealed through the plants, and the fleeting lives they were experiencing. And with this, the need for public parks was established, leading to the creation of the Boston Commons. And soon after, Central Park in the middle of Manhattan.
Cemeteries, like other natural spaces, are helpful in revealing the truth about life. They provide a space for contemplation and reflection. Surrounded by the graves of the deceased, you are served a gentle reminder of the mortality of all living beings. Individuals observe the cyclical nature of existence from the growth of plants to the decay; providing a gentle reminder of the impermanence of life.
This provides a sufficient basis to explore how our relationship with AI may attempt to recreate our relationship with nature. Too often, if it hasn’t happened to you already, we are met with an instance of absolute embarrassment, joy, or perhaps fear when an algorithm or advertisement reveals to us a desire we may not have verbally or textually expressed. Indeed, these AI models are capable of predicting our very behaviors. Frightening! But this ability to predict the behavior of individuals may also offer exciting possibilities. For example, an AI model might be able to predict a person's political views based on their social media posts and interactions. The model could analyze the content of the person's posts and interactions, as well as the political views of the people they follow and engage with, to identify patterns and trends.
Then, based on the individual’s data, it can begin prescribing posts from a political party they may begin to align more closely with. Taking it a further step, in the near future it could begin voting on their behalf, providing decisions that are more logically consistent with their recorded behavior…even if the individual themselves is unaware of how to apply this logical deduction in political issues. Now, AI models are trained to analyze an individual's behaviors, such as their speech patterns, facial expressions, and body language, to identify underlying emotions and mental states.
Technology is never a neutral tool and can easily be manipulated for various purposes. Technology is, therefore, not a means but instead, a way of revealing. Technology becomes our source of solace, in the way nature has previously. AI models can reveal things about us that we are unaware of, including things we didn’t want to know. AI then becomes a way to reveal the world. With this ability to curate technological revelation, we should be paying special attention to our relationship with it. It should not take precedence over the biological and long-standing relationship we have with nature. Because we reside in a world that is partitioned into a standing reserve- the world is one large resource waiting to be processed. And in an act of rebellion and control, we can choose to remain loyal to the entity that has provided us with centuries of life–Nature.