The hyperindustrialization of cognitive exploitation

Are we ready to accept for humans’ cognitive abilities to be exploited at a hyper-industrially scale, in the same way that natural resources are?

Consider deep-sea fishing, as described by David Attenborough in his last documentary, Ocean. The massive metal nets used by huge fishing boats not leave a chance to any living organism that cross their path.

The algorithms of large digital platforms work in a similar way: they have found formulas to absorb almost any particle of our mind, without leaving a rap in which to free ourselves.

According to leaked internal documents from TikTok, it is enough to watch 260 videos (about 35 minutes) to become a compulsive user. That’s the time our mind has before losing its freedom.

Television hooked millions. But it didn’t fit in the pocket, he didn’t follow us to the subway or to the bathroom. The smartphone broke that barrier. And the AI is completely eliminating it.

At a time when a consensus begins to form about the planet’s inability to resist hyper-industrialisation that destroys its ecosystems, we should ask ourselves urgently:

When are we going to unite to prevent the same phenomenon to happen to humans?

By Diego Hidalgo

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