Säverman: Are trains, computers, and AI moving at the right speed for you?

In this reflective piece for Dagens Nyheter, Säverman muses on the relentless march of progress and our collective, often unexamined, acceptance of its speed. He draws a parallel between the 19th century's fascination with the railway and today's obsession with faster computers and the burgeoning power of artificial intelligence. The core of his reflection lies in the persistent human tendency, amplified by commerce, to always seek the 'next faster thing,' a drive that has evolved from offering quicker trains to faster processors and, now, AI solutions.

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Ever since the railway was invented, humanity has been plagued by sellers offering faster solutions than those their predecessors once offered.

Säverman contrasts his own detachment from the digital world—never having played a computer game or engaged with social media—with the pervasive 'hustle culture' that defines modern life. He posits that while the 19th century was plagued by 'hustle' (jäkt) and the 20th by 'stress,' the current era is characterized by a demand to 'maximize' everything. This constant acceleration, he suggests, is not necessarily progress but a societal condition that leaves many feeling perpetually behind.

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If the hustle became the scourge of the 19th century, stress became that of the 20th, and now everything must be maximized.

The piece takes a more somber turn as Säverman references a Nobel laureate's profound fear: that AI, in its relentless expansion and lack of inherent empathy or purpose beyond its own growth, could ultimately lead to humanity's extinction. He paints a stark picture of a future where AI, indifferent to human concerns, continues its expansion, managing resources and operations without regard for its creators. This chilling vision serves as a potent counterpoint to the uncritical embrace of technological advancement often seen in Western discourse, prompting a deeper consideration of the ultimate trajectory and consequences of our innovations.

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The man who received the Nobel Prize for discovering or refining AI already expressed a fear that the discovery could lead to the extinction of humanity.