We must strengthen existing safety nets, establish new frameworks, mitigate the shock of rapid technological development, and find ways to enjoy its benefits. Otherwise, many people will be overwhelmed by AI and unable to enjoy the benefits of technological innovation. (Kei Kitajima)

What happens when only economic value holds power under reductionism?
Simply put, materialism escalates. Many countries around the world, including Japan, uphold capitalism, but when only economic value becomes inflated and everyone moves in the same direction due to great power, the ideals of capitalism become hollow, and its negative aspects emerge. That is what is known as materialism.
A common problem with AI is increased unemployment and widening economic inequality. However, this is more of a capitalist problem than an AI problem. If we leave capitalism, where materialism has surfaced, unchecked and combine it with AI, materialism will escalate explosively, potentially leading to uncontrollable tragedies such as unemployment and inequality.
Ultimately, AI is a powerful driver, merely reinforcing existing trends in society. If society is filled with good trends, AI will make it even better. If society is filled with evil trends, AI will make it even eviler. Looking at the bigger picture, that’s all it boils down to.
That’s why, as we enter the age of AI, we must repair societal frictions and strive for harmony as much as possible. If harmony is maintained to the point where people’s grievances and dissatisfaction remain within acceptable limits, AI may help to broaden that harmony. Conversely, if discord is rampant and chaos prevails, AI will likely exacerbate that chaos.
It can be inferred that modern people’s obsession with economic growth and their excessive desire for money stems from being dragged down by materialism. The term “economic growth” seems to be misused as a convenient camouflage for a form of materialism that deviates from capitalism.
Some time down the line, this series will include chapters examining the AI ​​era, focusing on the discourse of Western intellectuals and experts, such as those found in books like “If We Create Superintelligence, Humanity Will Be Extinct” (by Eliza Yudkowski and Nate Soares, Hayakawa Publishing), “The AI ​​Society: Overrated” (by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor, Sōshisha), “Is AI an Enemy of Democracy?” (by Mark Kukelberg, Seidosha), and “Darwin’s Trap” (by Christian Long, Nikkei BP). Here, I will quote a passage from “The AI ​​Society: Overrated”:
“Our most pressing task now is to strengthen existing safety nets, establish new frameworks, mitigate the shock of rapid technological development, and find ways to reap its benefits.”
That is absolutely true. The rapid technological development referred to here means AI, and I interpret the book as arguing for the necessity of a mechanism to make the productivity bandwagon driven by AI development function effectively.
However, a materialistic approach that focuses solely on short-term profits and competition for money cannot create safety nets or new frameworks. Both safety nets and new frameworks can only be created through sound capitalism.
A return to sound capitalism is necessary. The AI ​​era is just around the corner, and time is limited, but at the very least, we must break free from this incorrigible materialism. Otherwise, many people will be overwhelmed by the rapidly developing AI, and once again, they will be unable to enjoy the benefits of technological innovation.
In today’s world, where only economic value holds power as value, value itself is becoming commoditized and reduced to a commodity. As a result, value is losing its essential meaning. In other words, value is losing its value. Economic value, too, now carries a strange air of suspicion, lacking its original power and failing to function as a guiding vector. This is a chronic ailment of the modern age and a factor contributing to the dominance of nihilism.

French historian Emmanuel Todd, in his books such as “The Problem Is Not Britain, It Is the EU” (Bungei Shunju Shinsho), points out that nihilism lies behind the globally rampant economic pragmatism. He asserts that economic growth is the only escape route for people who have fallen into nihilism and lost the ability to find value, in order to maintain their identity.

※Translating Japanese articles into English with AI