O Brave 'New Normal' World

It is ironic that, having spent several thousand years subjugating all other lifeforms so we could become the dominant species, we have wilfully ceded ourhard-won authority over our fellow animals to inanimate technology. In manycases we have become so blindly reliant on machines that we have stoppedusing our own wits to the point where our brains are becoming dangerouslyredundant. We hardly need to think for ourselves at all. This vacuous mentalitythat we seem to be embracing is pervading all aspects of our behaviour andsociety. The rise of AI that now exceeds our own intelligence raises new ethicaland existential dilemmas. As we develop synthetic minds, we will need to weighup how we design them, what we allow and don't allow them to do, and (crucially)how to ensure their needs are aligned with our own. Meanwhile, humanity iswaging a "suicidal" war on the natural world, according to secretary general ofthe UN Antonio Guterres, which also ultimately jeopardises our very existence.