Industrial technology brings with it a peculiar paradox: on one hand it is homogenizing, in that it pushes us to use the same languages, drive the same cars, live in the same style of homes; yet, in spite of this homogenization, we somehow end up feeling more alienated and alone than ever before.
How does this happen?
It seems as though the forces that make technology, particularly AI, so powerful — the idea of universal personalization — also make it a source of alienation: the more personalization we are afforded, the more alienated we become, as the systemic forces that enable personalization tend to drive individualization at the expense of shared community.
Yes, the homogenizing effect of technology makes it easier for us to have a loose connection to everyone, but it comes at the price of weakening our strong local community bonds. Put another way, the more the world pulls us into opportunities to travel everywhere and study everything, the more it hinders us from creating the strong communities that leave us feeling supported (or, alas, imprisoned).
Strong Communities in the Face of Modernity
For this reason the communities that are often the strongest are those that have gone to great lengths to resist modernity; in the United States, the Amish are the most visible example. I must admit to finding their reasoning quite sound.
It is worth noting, though, that the Amish haven’t entirely resisted modernity; it is more accurate to say they have embraced it judiciously. For instance, they have bank accounts and accept electronic payments, but frequently do not use such technology in their homes. The Amish, though, are not the only example of such behavior; they are simply a more extreme case study.
I find that most of my peers, who are college-educated and have conventional families with young children, are increasingly judicious in how they use smartphones and tablets: for some, it is none at at all; for others, it is only at a certain age; for other still, it is age and context dependent. My wife and I are happy to let our kids watch a bit of television on Saturday mornings if it buys us an extra hour of sleep!
Navigating the AI-Driven World
So, what are we to do? I think this is a highly personal question, and worth serious deliberation. One could resist AI entirely, though I think this will be increasingly difficult as the rest of the world marches inexorably towards widespread AI usage. Still, if one feels inspired to shun AI and to harness a community around this value, it may be possible — indeed, even fruitful — for such individuals and communities.
An option I find more preferable, and one I think will be easier to achieve, is to proceed with caution. This means using AIs with intent and consciousness, and avoiding the temptation to use it as a substitute for human interaction and independent thought. More importantly, though, is to cultivate and strengthen your community intentionally, with the knowledge that technology’s ongoing march forward, in part via AI, may have an impact of undermining community.
The Role of Spiritual Communities
To this end, religious communities are often the most powerful protection against modernity’s assault on community. As such, perhaps an investment in a religious community is worth your time. I say this as someone who does not like the politics and fake spirituality that pervades most religious communities regardless of their denomination. If you share this perspective, some reinforcement of your spiritual values, however you choose, may be a useful antidote to the alienation and corresponding mental health woes that technology brings.
In fact, an AI use case that I think will emerge in time will be for homeschool pods and microschools that seek to incorporate spirituality into all aspects of education to utilize AI to create curriculums that achieve this.
Subjects as varied as history, nutrition, and personal finance can all find parallels within spiritual texts, and a curriculum that weaves these subjects together can be created with AI. In doing so, the stage will be set rich spiritual communities, which can help create the local bonds that ward off the alienation that modernity, if allowed to develop without any conscious guidance, is likely to bring.
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