Post Mortem II

As the current wave of disruption, manifesting itself through
various conversations about artificial intelligence swirling
around us (which, from our perspective, would be better described
as a »Reflective Intelligence«), builds into a cultural crescendo
reminiscent of Hokusai’s Great Wave off Kanagawa. Indeed, when,
as a kind of embarrassment of thought, even the leading figures
in its epistemological field conjure up a dys-utopian race toward
civilizational collapse (as with Geoffrey Hinton), it’s easy to
overlook how the Computer’s intellectual roots in our Machine
Culture date back to the 18th century. And because of this,
reflecting back on Digitalisation's origins in the crackling rift
of Writing’s electrification becomes even more essential. We’re
pleased to share this brief conversation between us about reading
between the lines regarding Electrification, Massification, and
the shifting definition of Writing in the early chapters of
Martin’s Short History of Digitalisation.


Hopkins Stanley and Martin Burckhardt


Related Content


Get full access to Ex nihilo - Martin Burckhardt at
martinburckhardt.substack.com/subscribe