Self and fear of AI part one

 Are you we/they/them/it/him/her/binary? Questions we did not even think about when I was growing up. Society is changing some would say for the good, others would say for the worse, while most of us don’t understand the issues. I know that younger readers may think that my generation are out of touch with the realities of the modern world. They may be correct.

Humans tend to think of our selves as the only wholly unique creations in nature. We believe that we are the only wholly unique creations in nature because of our complex cognitive abilities, including self-awareness, consciousness, and the capacity for abstract thought. These abilities allow us to reflect on our existence, contemplate the meaning of life, and ponder our place in the universe.

Furthermore, over thousands of years, we have developed sophisticated language and communication skills that allow us to articulate these thoughts and ideas, which reinforces our perception as unique creations.

Moreover, we have developed intricate social structures, cultures, and belief systems that further differentiate us, we think from other species, reinforcing the notion of exceptionalism. These factors combine to create a sense of superiority and uniqueness that contributes to the idea that we are the only wholly unique creations in nature.

We’ve never been so self-conscious about ourselves as we seem to be these days. Popular magazines are filled with advice on things to do with self: how to find it, identify it, nurture it, protect it, even, for special occasions, and weekends, and how to lose it transiently. There are instructive books, and best sellers on self-realization, self-help, and self-development. Groups of self-respecting people pay large fees for three-day sessions together, learning self-awareness. Self-enlightenment is taught in college.

You’d think, to read about it, that we’d only just now discovered ourselves. Having long suspected that there was something alive in there, running the place, separate from everything else, absolutely individual and independent, we’ve celebrated by giving it a real name. My self.

Current societal emphasis is on self-awareness and self-improvement. There is a proliferation of literature, courses, and workshops aimed at helping individuals discover and develop their sense of self. The term "self" has become a buzzword, and there seems to be a cultural obsession with the concept.