I’ve been thinking about “the original sin” of the internet for a couple of months now. Many interviews have been spilled over this subject, most of them concluding that making the internet free created the surveillance advertising environment that conflicts with some of our desires. But I don’t know if that’s the real answer… And while I’m not ready to write that piece quite yet, I have had this other lingering feeling as I’ve been looking around at both tech and politics.
The simple matter that we are afraid to be better.
In Christianity there is obviously a lot of time spent dealing with the matter of sin, and our relationship to it. What is sin? “Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in act, attitude, or nature.” (Systematic Theology, by Wayne Grudem) And thus when we come to recognize our sin, the follow up is to repent - a continuous and crucial act of turning from our sin as a sign we live a converted life.
Seems simple enough.
Well it would be, if sin wasn’t so fun… so pleasurable… if we didn’t desire it as much as we do. According to the Bible, we are inherently sinful. We can be grateful to the fall of Man (Garden of Eden moment) for this lived reality.
I believe we can see the consequence of this in everything around us, if, we have the eyes to see it. While we may long for progress, it is difficult to see the golden path version that one must discern in order to build.
What we build in our search for progress, is the environment we come to live in. It’s the power structures, products, influence, and everything else we see within our technical culture. Capital moving, minor-deities minted, imaginations of an ever closer future conjured collectively.
And while culturally most technologists would agree that they are in the business of producing progress, in some form. The competitiveness of capitalism creates an arena. We engage in narrative warfare, counter cultural attacks, symbolic hijackings. Because, we are also keenly aware of the spoils that accrue to the individual credited for any said progress.
But why all that about sin and repentance before?
The wages of sin is death. Without salvation, there is no path to sanctification, thus no path to being reunited with God’s presence.
I’m not here to say that with the right choices of products, we will have some on Earth heaven like experience. Or simply put, utopia. But I do believe that in the same way we enjoy our sin, and that produces blockers to holiness… we actively choose a lower quality of life with our current products, out of fear of living in/with products that represent a healthier embodiment of values.
To turn away from sin, is to turn away from the pleasure we receive. Even if that pleasure is actually killing us. We are skeptical that there’s something better if we walk the other way.
If you’ve been seeing my Twitter lately, you’ll notice I’ve been on a kick around the definition of culture + hardware as part of the nature layer of the pace layer. Specifically applying it to Humane, creators of the AI pin.
When you recognize that Hardware is part of our nature layer -> so consequentially, our culture is downstream of our hardware…
You’ll understand the mammoth battle Humane is trying to take on.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, it is extremely Catholic
The iPhone has a biting of the fruit feeling (full pun intended). We’ve seen both good and evil. Our entire orientation has shifted.
Humane is trying to have a cultural lifestyle impact. So of course the reaction is nearly hostile (imo). You are telling people they are living a sinful life. An unfulfilled life. No one wants to hear that message… and Humane fully believes it (this is a good thing)
That’s why they integrated with cell phone carriers in the V1. Despite the muddled comms around it, they do want to replace your phone. The device is a direct attack on the downstream culture of the iPhone.
For some reason they are stuck in communicating the features instead of the lifestyle. Maybe that’s necessary this early. We saw this in early computing as well… but I think something special will happen when they are able to define and express a “Humane Culture”
I’m confident THAT will resonate with folks that are ready for a conversion moment
- my tweet
While social media is often pointed at as a prime example of our digital environment turned sour, and I’ve contributed my fair share to that discourse, it’s not hard for many people to grok that idea. What I’ve seen many stumble over, even from those that claim the pursuit of progress as part of their job, is the belief that new consumer hardware paradigms are possible and should be funded with gusto.
Our software culture is downstream of our hardware. What is a “killer app” if not the perfect embodiment of whatever that hardware has to offer?
It’s been plenty clear that the killer app of the iPhone culture is social media. And there’s plenty of reason we wouldn’t want to leave that behind. The promise of connection, entertainment, status, pleasure, all wrapped into one.
The Humane AI Pin is trading an eye for an ear. A new software environment that is just beginning to emerge, completely divorced and inverted from the self-reflecting screens that have been at our side for over 15 years. And naturally, we expect the killer app for it immediately. It’s important to remember that Apple did not build the killer app for their own device.
It is a brave soul that is willing to start over.
Conversion is a spiritual starting over. “Being born again.” Repenting - the turning away… what does that look like today?
New hardware represents an interesting opportunity for those willing to receive a new message. It might be the first counter-cultural buy-in opportunity we’ve had in quite some time.
And it’s happening at the same time Apple has had its first real flop. The mismanagement of the Vision Pro rollout (I assume HomePod was a flop but wasn’t important enough of a moment).
But will you open the door?
My fear is singular.
We will continue to satiate a lesser version of ourselves, rather than strive for who we can become.
It is time to compete for something new.
Embodying a stronger, healthier value system within our products. Distinct from the previous class that got us to this point today. Combined with a campaign for a healthier consumption class, and an awakening to how technologies REALLY affect them.
“What matters today is not the difference between those who believe and those who do not believe, but the difference between those who care and those who don’t.”
This new attitude toward life can be expressed more specifically in the following principles: Man’s development requires his capacity to transcend the narrow prison of his ego, his greed his selfishness, his separation from his fellow man, and, hence, his basic loneliness.
Erich Fromm, The Revolution of Hope, Toward A Humanized Technology
I don’t do edits really, so excuse typos and things that don’t make sense.
Thanks so much for giving me your attention. I hope it was worth it, if not… unsubscribing will not hurt my feelings, and will give you back time you literally cannot have back.
Much love.
Live in the light