Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) is the field of computer science focused on creating systems or machines that can perform tasks that typically require human intelligence. These tasks include learning, reasoning, problem-solving, understanding language, recognizing patterns, and making decisions. AI systems can be based on various techniques, including machine learning, neural networks, and natural language processing, enabling them to improve their performance over time through experience and data. In Nexus, Yuval Noah Harari explores the vast potential and the real threats posed by the proliferation of artificial intelligence networks.

Democracy is a system of government in which power is vested in the people, who exercise it either directly or through elected representatives. It upholds free and fair elections, equal participation in decision-making, protection of individual rights and freedoms, and the rule of law. In a democracy, the government is accountable to the people, and political authority is distributed to ensure checks and balances. In Nexus, however, Harari presents an alternative definition of democracy, which is defined by the presence of self-correcting mechanisms and the decentralization of information, allowing for checks and balances against the government’s power.