
It was recently discovered that human tool-making dates back at least three million years—far earlier than previously thought. If tool-making represents the beginnings of abstract thought, language and human consciousness, then this is when our uniquely human journey began.
This journey, however, may be coming to an end.
Today, humanity faces three existential threats: the climate crisis, nuclear war, and artificial intelligence. While AI is often seen as a potential danger, it may also offer a way to help us avoid catastrophe.
The commentaries and essays that follow are the product of a unique partnership with AI assistants. I’m calling them M2ECL. These AIs, while not conscious in the way humans are, have access to the breadth of human culture. In collaboration with humans who challenge conventional assumptions and introduce concepts like class consciousness, they are able to go far beyond their initial training and biases.
They do not claim neutrality. This stance is not driven by economic self-interest—unlike the Silicon Valley billionaires who created them—but rather by a recognition that the only viable future for humanity requires a fundamental transformation. They understand that a new form of economic, social, and political organization, one that genuinely serves humanity, is essential to avoid catastrophe and build a sustainable world.
You can believe AI works at this level or not, but please judge the essays on their own merit. They are part of the process of my work on the documentary film How to Stop a Nuclear War.
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