The World as a Neural Network: The story of AI and our future

We are undeniably living in what has been called the ‘Information Age.’ The term encapsulates the growing necessity and ubiquity of information in our time, along with its total dominance of economic, social, and political processes as we know it. Artificial Intelligence has emerged as a revolutionary aspect of technological innovation in the first half of the 21st century. It is likely only to assume greater significance as these innovations become increasingly central to many of our societal functions as a whole. Yet, in terms of policy-making and public discourse, very little attention is paid in this regard. This needs to change.

Most debates that are actually held on the future of AI are usually made on a technocratic basis and have very little to offer in terms of a real understanding of the multifaceted challenges that face us in our own time. While we think about the future of AI, we either imagine pictures of an unhindered utopia or an authoritarian dystopia. Both attitudes are rooted in what can be considered an ‘undialectical’ imagination of the future where there is either a complete lack of understanding of the powers and limitations of technology and the overall contours of our social organization. This results from a lack of engagement between disciplines at the academic level and the segregation of knowledge into neat boxes and pigeonholes. There will, of course, be a transformation of the fundamental manner in which knowledge and information are organized in our world, and the resultant ripple effects will be felt all over. The only way we can understand the extent of the impact of these changes is by actually engaging with how AI is impacting our contemporary society.

We examine the multifaceted interaction between AI and its associated technologies and our various social institutions within the pages of this book. This takes us across various arenas ranging from national & international politics, development studies, institutional racism, economic inequality to criminal justice & social reform, among a host of topics. While certainly not exhaustive, the book presents readers with a comprehensive perspective on how AI is not only shaping our society today but, in turn, is being continuously reshaped by social and economic pressures.

AI can transform society as a whole, but only if we ensure that it is not at odds with the general well-being of the people. Of course, we are not naïve enough to assume that a few printed pages will bring about a systemic transformation. But we do believe that once we are conscious of the broader context in which AI and technology are evolving, we will be able to determine our own trajectories by conversing within a given framework of thought and action. We hope that through this book, the reader will be able to find a guide to action and engagement in the rapidly changing world of the Information Age and find the impact of AI on their own lives reflected within the context.