How Four Not-So-Famous Greeks Remind Us of Our Value in an AI World
Now that artificial intelligence has become an immediate reality and not some far-off reckoning, the drift toward a technological singularity — with humanity itself as collateral damage — has suddenly become a riptide.
I have no antidote for our collective dread. But I do have a suggestion.
While it might seem a pointless and naive exercise, at such moments I turn to history itself, particularly the ancient Greek variety. I’m not looking for answers to our existential predicament as much as reassurance about our value as brainy and adaptive bipeds. And it’s in the life stories of these audacious, curious, brave, and clever Greeks that I always find evidence of humanity’s talent to persevere and over perform.
Here then are short takes on four lesser-known ancient Greeks, whose tenacity and conviction remind us that we, as their flesh-and-blood successors, should be pushing the limits of our own abilities and intelligence as machines expand theirs.
Kyniska
Spartan women were a subject of fascination and wonder in the classical Greek world. Unlike women in other Greek city-states, they could inherit, own, and manage land. Spartan girls were also formally educated and athletic — engaging in regular physical activity, such as…
