Reviewing the Techno-Optimist Manifesto (pt 1) | The Good and Basic Podcast Ep. 35

Рет қаралды 231

2 ай бұрын

In which JB (who has previously read the titular manifesto) and JF (who has not) read and comment on venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz' Techno-Optimistic Manifesto. Are we techno-optimists? Are you? What does that mean (and is a techno-optimist actually something from a Transformers movie, or someone who is bullish on the future of electronic music?) Give a listen and find out--and take a look through the Techno-Optimist Manifesto here: a16z.com/the-techno-optimist-...
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Пікірлер: 9

@jeffandthings77 2 ай бұрын

Love sitting in and hearing the back and forth on thoughts and ideas I wouldn't have considered otherwise. I'll have to dig into this piece of writing later-and look forward to your future parts here!

@azzgunther 2 ай бұрын

_"We had a problem with isolation so we invented the internet."_ That really brings the author's perspective and social insight into question, perhaps to such a degree that it brings the entire premise into question.

@GoodandBasic 2 ай бұрын

The idea that the Internet SOLVES the problem of isolation is...certainly a theory. -JF

@azzgunther 2 ай бұрын

@@GoodandBasic Part of my concern with technology is that it seems to exert a gravity that shreds community by pulling social connections apart. People moving away from families for work, pressure to overspecialize in work such that they work alone and quietly, groceries and other purchases delivered to the door without even seeing the delivery person, and on and on. Internet isolation is one of the most obvious pitfalls and the author sees it as a virtue. There's a woman named Mary Ruddick who might be interesting to you. She travels around the world living with the remaining primitive tribes for brief stints. Her perspective on their social environment is enlightening and supports the idea that technology is antithetical to human happiness, at least in that realm.

@pozzowon 2 ай бұрын

@@azzgunther "Paper will put up with anything that is written on it'- Joseph Stalin... Every day I read more and more stuff that reminds me of this quote, which made me look for the original and was surprised at what I found

@IlusysSystems 2 ай бұрын

Reacting to the video as I watch, so sorry if I repeat your points :/ When they say, that they can solve/improve any problem with more technology - Well technically true, but.. This assumes perfect understanding of the problem. Take global warming for example. Now assume, that our knowledge of this issue is quite limited (which it kinda is). This sparked interest in con-technology I would call it. Basically range of non-solutions to outright scams. So the technology created 20% solution, 80% chaos. This is basically pandora box scenario - technology caused a problem, but we can't create technology to solve it, because A) we don't quite know if the premise is correct and B) politics. You can say meh, but you can crank this up to 11 if you imagine somebody invents teleportation / wormhole travel tomorrow. In my opinion, inventors are gonna invent, and there is nothing you can do, but keep riding the train. Because there is only 1 train...

@NoukonGlobal 2 ай бұрын

I'm cautiously optimistic on the long term uses for generative AI and other sectors touched by recent advances, but obviously there will be severe growing pains and massive negative effects alongside the positives as their use expands. I really question the motivations behind the Techno-Optimist Manifesto. I wonder why the man who invests in nfts, crypto, AI, and other speculative tech wants everyone to adopt them and markets to become completely unrestrained in their use? I want to be less pessimistic on his reasoning here; maybe he truly believes this stuff; but as long as the profit motive exists I can't just wave that feeling away. Any time technology isn't addressing a problem or benefiting some academic pursuit, we should assume the venture capitalists are trying to sell snake oil again and just ignore them. Doubly so if they tell us to not raise moral or ethical concerns. Like, really? Does he really think ALL these people in the tech sector and beyond are just fear mongering with no basis here? That environmentalists and people urging restraint on unfettered greed are truly the harbingers against all progress? Who does he even think he's fooling?

@DarkPrject 2 ай бұрын

What a load of neoliberalism techbro bullshit. How did you put yourself through this?

@GoodandBasic 2 ай бұрын

For me, in part, the knowledge that manure can make good fertilizer. :) I tend to roll my eyes at techbro talk as well, but that doesn't mean I'm above learning something from it, despite my eye rolls. -JF