In Homo Deus, Yuval Noah Harari predicted the emergence of transhumans. But will this truly become reality? We critically analyze his argument.
The Superhuman Predicted by Yuval Noah Harari
Yuval Noah Harari is a historian with his own distinct set of values. He traverses various academic fields to explain humanity. His representative works, Sapiens: From Apes to Cyborgs and Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, offer a glimpse into his rich humanistic, social, and scientific knowledge. Particularly in Homo Deus, he argues that in a future dominated by advanced artificial intelligence and algorithms, most jobs will be replaced by algorithms, and algorithms will control humanity. Here, he predicts the emergence of the ‘superhuman’.
Superhumans are a small, privileged group beyond algorithmic control. Only superhumans can control the algorithms, so they maintain the system and make globally significant decisions. This is how algorithms control the rest of humanity. Superhumans possess unprecedented physical, mental, and intellectual capabilities, along with unparalleled creativity. While past aristocrats and wealthy individuals claimed biological superiority to justify their social and political advantages, this was merely a fiction. Superhumans are different. This tiny minority fundamentally possesses guaranteed biological superiority. So, can the control of algorithms by superhumans, and of the rest of humanity by algorithms, be justified? He argues that for a nation to develop most efficiently, it might be best to advance rapidly with superhumans alone. The emergence of superhumans could severely undermine the dignity of the rest of humanity, and liberalism, being based on equality, could also become obsolete. He further predicts that the fundamental direction of medicine will shift, evolving not for the treatment of ordinary people but for the purpose of upgrading superhumans. In the 20th century, nations absolutely needed masses of soldiers and laborers. But if algorithms handle all tasks and war disappears, nations would no longer need to care for the masses. Yuval Noah Harari warns of this superhuman danger, emphasizing the need for greater caution regarding scientific advancements, including algorithms and artificial intelligence.
Will superhumans truly emerge to threaten our jobs and basic healthcare? Probably not. I will argue this based on two reasons: the ‘failure of eugenics’ and the ‘non-economic perspective’.
The Failure of Eugenics
Eugenics is the study of human genetic conditions and factors aimed at improving the species, seeking to minimize poor genetic predispositions and reduce populations with detrimental genetic traits. Modern eugenics finds its meaning in Darwin’s theory of natural selection and evolution. At the time of eugenics’ emergence, evolutionary theory was beginning to shift from the realm of simple biology into that of sociology. Eugenics was particularly welcomed by the middle class, as it allowed them to condemn both the idleness of the aristocracy and the destitute poor who were a burden on society. The middle class viewed the aristocracy’s idleness as a recessive trait within the species and the destitute poor as entities violating the law of survival of the fittest. Briand argued that humans could never be entirely free from evolutionary responsibility and that direct human intervention was necessary for the greater good of humanity.
However, eugenics gradually began to decline in the 1930s. Originating from biological discoveries, eugenics was ultimately refuted by the very new biological facts that emerged as research progressed. Scientifically flawed, eugenics eventually faced criticism. Crucially, the use of eugenics within the ideology of Nazism led to the horrific events of World War II and the Holocaust. The Nazis regarded Jews as a bad gene pool from a eugenic perspective, resulting in the massacre of 90% of the Jewish populations in Poland, Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and Moravia. After that, eugenics was expelled from society.
Just as eugenics failed, so too will the superhuman. The claim that certain humans are superior to others is untenable, regardless of human capabilities. We do not grant someone two votes in an election simply because they are great. Human dignity is more precious than anything else, and if everyone acknowledges this, superhumans cannot emerge. Yuval Noah Harari predicted that the emergence of superhumans would bring about the downfall of liberalism, but it is precisely liberalism that will prevent superhumans from emerging.
Non-Economic Perspective
Yuval Noah Harari’s fundamental premise is economics. In Homo Deus, his theories are mostly discussed from an economic perspective. He argues that when companies find using algorithms cheaper than labor costs, many people will lose their jobs and algorithms will dominate businesses and markets. However, real society contains many elements that cannot be explained by economics alone. Just as macro physics cannot explain micro physics, society is far too complex and diverse, with myriad factors acting at the micro level to be explained solely by economics.
His theory only holds true if humanity is consumed by a gold-driven worldview. But that is not the case. Humans do not act solely for economic gain. Many people warm society through donations. Many pay membership fees to join environmental and social organizations. Many give offerings to God, shouting His name, even knowing their money goes toward church maintenance and pastors’ back pockets. Individual beliefs often take precedence over money. It is a hasty judgment to assert that all corporate operations are conducted by algorithms.
Even without delving into the realm of belief, entrepreneurs can fully recognize the dangers of algorithms. If an entrepreneur’s company grows through algorithms, does that make them a superhuman? Of course not. Superhumans cannot be measured by mere wealth. This implies their own positions could be replaced by algorithms and fall under superhuman control. The moment entrepreneurs grasp this risk, they won’t sacrifice everything for temporary wealth. Algorithms may dominate the economy, but they cannot dominate society. Superhumans neither need to appear nor can they.
The Embodiment of Anxiety and Solitude: The Life Story of Franz Kafka
