“People are fed by the machine, but they are not nourished by it,” Wendell Berry warns us. Now we are not only not nourished by the machine, but we are at danger of being eaten by it.
Consumer culture sells us AI assistants, smart devices, even brain implants, as keys to a better life. Yet these tools threaten our mental autonomy—the heart of being human.
In a world racing toward ever-smarter AI, brain-computer interfaces, and hyper-connected digital lives, a chilling question emerges: are we sacrificing the sovereignty of our minds for the sake of progress?
The real danger of AI technology isn’t just about privacy or data—it’s about the potential loss of our mental autonomy, the very essence of what makes us human. As Neil Postman cautioned, “Technology is a Faustian bargain. It giveth and it taketh away.”
Advanced algorithms already nudge our behaviours, from what we buy to what we believe, as seen in everything from social media echo chambers to targeted political ads.
Emerging neurotechnologies, like brain implants being developed by companies such as Neuralink, could take this further, potentially influencing thoughts or emotions directly.
The stakes? A future where our free will is subtly eroded by corporations and/or governments wielding tools to shape our minds at scale.
This isn’t science fiction—it’s a plausible risk. Studies show AI can predict and sway behaviour with alarming precision, and discussions reveal growing unease about tech overreach.
If we continue down this path, we might face a world where individual agency is overshadowed by systems designed to control, not empower.
Why Simple Living Matters
Simple living is our rebellion against blind adoption of new high tech schemes. E.F. Schumacher said, “It takes a touch of genius—and a lot of courage—to move in the opposite direction.”
A simpler, low-tech life offers a counterpoint—a way to reclaim our mental freedom.
By stepping back from the digital deluge, we can:
- Reduce Manipulation: Limiting exposure to algorithmic feeds (like those on social media) helps us think more independently, free from constant nudging.
- Reconnect with Humanity: Face-to-face interactions, unfiltered by screens, foster authentic relationships and critical thinking.
- Protect Our Minds: Avoiding reliance on invasive tech, like neural interfaces, preserves our inner world from external control.
How to Embrace a Low-Tech Life
- Curate Your Tech: Use devices mindfully—opt for tools that serve you, like a basic phone for calls, not endless apps.
- Unplug Regularly: Set tech-free hours or days to focus on nature, reading, or reflection. Studies show screen breaks boost mental clarity.
- Build Real Connections: Prioritize in-person community over virtual likes. Join local groups or volunteer to ground yourself in the tangible world.
- Question Progress: Not every innovation is worth adopting. Ask: does this tech enhance my freedom or threaten it?
A Safer, More Human Choice
The allure of new tech is strong, but so is the case for simplicity. A low-tech life isn’t about rejecting progress—it’s about choosing what aligns with our humanity.
As the AI juggernaut roles on at lightning speed, let’s hold fast to what keeps us free: our ability to think, feel, and act as sovereign individuals. In a simpler life, we protect the safety and authenticity we’re at risk of losing.
Henry David Thoreau warned, “Men have become the tools of their tools.” Let’s reject the tech tool trap for a clear mind, rooted in the real world.
As we have been saying since 2008 on this blog, less stuff means more life. Simplicity today isn’t just frugal—it’s taking a stand for our very souls.
What’s your take? Are you drawn to a low-tech lifestyle, or do you think new tech can coexist with mental freedom? Share below!
When I see people who can't even walk their dog without looking at a screen I'm truely worried about their mental freedom. And that's just one example.
ReplyDeleteBut Gregg you hit a sensitive point in me. What really really angers me how we are bombarded with the term AI. As if artificial intelligence can exist. Well, no, no, no! We're talking about highly advanced computer programmes. And of a level that does get scary. But computer programmes do not think. Not yet as far as I know. They are made by very intelligent people. Maybe helped by advanced programming solutions that help develop the software more, but still at the basis are thinking human beings. Not machines. Self thinking machines are science fiction. I refuse to believe in it and excuse my French but for me 'AI' is bullshit and people are being fooled.
My question to the world is: if such clever people who can make such refined software are among us, why don't they use their human intelligence for better things?
I think the answer to your question "why don't they use their human intelligence for better things?" might be money. The powers that shouldn't be are going all in on this technology. I imagine trillions will be spent (wasted?) developing it, then many more trillions will be spent building and maintaining the extensive power networks that they say they need to keep it going. Everyone is looking to maximize their power grab and their profit. Better ways of using that money will suffer, as usual. The whole thing is dystopian and scary.
Delete- Gregg
Definitely money. Commerce is killing us. Will make us human beings extinct if change will not come soon.
DeleteIn recent decades most of our time is taken up by politics and commerce. What happened to just living and enjoying life? Those things should work for us, but instead we work for them.
Delete- Gregg