Yuval Noah Harari: Why advanced societies fall for mass delusion

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Become a Big Think member to unlock Yuval's full class, AI and the Future of Civilization: https://bigthink.com/my-classes/ai-and-the-future-of-civilization/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=yt_desc Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQECJukTDE2i6aCoMnS-Vg?sub_confirmation=1 Up next, Yuval Noah Harari: How to safeguard your mind in the age of junk information ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1OvbwY6GPM “The problem is in our information. Humans, yes, we are generally good and wise, but if you give good people bad information, they make bad decisions.” Human history is a paradox: we accumulate knowledge at astonishing speed, while remaining vulnerable to deception, superstition, and the stories that steer entire civilizations. From the first clay tablets to today’s global media systems, the structures that carry our ideas have always shaped what societies can build, believe, and destroy. That paradox is even more important in the age of AI, says Yuval Noah Harari. 0:00 If humans are so smart, why are we on the verge of destruction? 1:45 Why is the quality of our information decreasing? 2:19 The rise of alien intelligence 14:20 How information technology shapes society 19:52 The rise of inorganic information 28:21 The importance of human institutions 37:09 Information isn’t truth Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/ftm_episode/collapse-of-truth/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description © Freethink Media Inc., All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Youtube Member Get exclusive classes and early, ad-free access to new releases without leaving Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@bigthink/membership/ ►Become a Big Think Web Member Get the entire Big Think Class library, premium print issues, live events, and more. https://bigthink.com/membership/ ►Subscribe to Big Think on Substack Get all of your favorite Big Think content delivered to your inbox. https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/subscribe/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Yuval Noah Harari: Yuval Noah Harari, born in Israel in 1976, is a historian and philosopher renowned for his bestselling books, including Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow, 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, and Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI. His works have sold over 45 million copies in 65 languages, establishing him as a leading public intellectual. Harari earned his PhD from the University of Oxford in 2002 and currently lectures at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. In 2019, he co-founded Sapienship, a social impact company focused on education and storytelling, with his husband, Itzik Yahav. His research delves into macro-historical questions, exploring the relationships between history and biology, the distinctions between Homo sapiens and other animals, and the ethical implications of science and technology in the 21st century. Harari has delivered keynote speeches at the World Economic Forum and engaged in discussions with global leaders, including Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. His influential works and public engagements continue to shape contemporary discourse on humanity's past, present, and future.