Cory Doctorow, writing about the idiocy of homo economicus, points out (not for the first time) that corporations are the real AI.
It’s a reasonable metaphor. Corporations, after all, are “persons” – at least legally – and they do have a mindset and way of doing things that is unique to them. People who work for corporations do things in a certain way because it is the corporation’s way, not because they think it’s a good thing to do.
And those who are trying to convince us that so-called AI is the next big thing are continually hinting that if it’s not quite a person yet, it’s going to be.
The problem, I think, is not with corporations per se – there are reasons to form an organization when you need a large group of people to produce something – but rather with our idea that corporations must sacrifice ethical principles in favor of almighty profit.
We could do corporations differently, just as we could develop and use technology differently. The problem is the myths that surround them, stories someone made up that we’re now stuck with.
Those myths and bad models aren’t just limited to corporations or to tech. Here are a few that come to mind:
- Homo economicus, the myth that individuals always make the rational decision for their own self interest.
- Survival of the fittest, especially as applied in a cultural context.
- The myths around gender and sex that assume – in ways small and large – that men are superior and that there’s a distinct binary difference between men and women.
- The particularly egregious myth of the “tragedy of the commons,” which was invented by a right-wing extremist and which, though it has been thoroughly disproven, is still cited constantly.
- The belief that AI can think and that it is life-changing tech that can change our lives instead of an improvement in certain digital capabilities useful for a few things.
- The multiple myths around corporations, including such things as fiduciary duty.
- American exceptionalism, a myth that is so strong that even those of us who have strong criticisms of our country tend to buy into it.
Which is to say, bad stories. The bad stories that underlie all our cultures are a big part of the problem. Continue reading “Time to Change the Stories”…