A Society with Stone Age Brains and God-like Tools

— Is there ethics in a society that runs AI on emotion? —

We are running AI on nothing but emotion and impulse.
When we give tools that have evolved too far to brains that have not evolved, where is society headed?
In a structure where reason has no room to enter and only stimulation accelerates, where can we find the means to maintain our humanity?
In this third installment, we focus on the distortion between human evolution and technology, and consider the meaning of the 'power to stop'.

This note is the Is there still something AI can do? series (planned for 7 parts in total), Part 3. It is fine to start reading from this installment.

Vol.1 'Only now, only money, only me' destroys society
Vol.2 In an era where wars on the other side of the world kill us
Vol.3 A society with Stone Age brains and God-like tools
Vol.4 The Trump show - When desire consumes democracy
Vol.5 The 'feeling' of making an effort destroys the Earth
Vol.6 Why does the power to feel connection become 'ethics'?

Introduction: The brain does not evolve, only the tools have evolved

Last time, I wrote this.
That we have entered an era where wars on the other side of the world kill us.

We can no longer escape from 'distant events'.
Because technology has accelerated connections, a lack of imagination has come to lead directly to a crisis of survival.

But the problem is not just imagination.
More fundamentally, isn't our own 'make-up' already out of sync with the times?

The human brain still retains the 'Stone Age structure' formed over tens of thousands of years.
Emotion, impulse, the instinct to belong to a group—these circuits still act strongly in modern society.

That 'old brain' now holds 'God-like tools' such as AI, SNS, and nuclear weapons.
Evolution has not kept up.
Technology has moved too far ahead while we remain unable to control our impulses and desires.

In this chapter, I want to consider the 'structural distortion' created by human evolution and the runaway nature of technology.

Chapter 1: Technology is moving 'as designed'

SNS is overflowing with anger.
On YouTube, assertions go viral, and on TikTok, provocative words are favored by the algorithm.

AI presents us with things 'close to our desires' based on our search history.
These phenomena are often called 'runaway technology'.

But I think.
Is this not a runaway, but rather behavior 'as designed'?

SNS, AI, and video platforms are all designed to "stir emotions and prompt action."
Anger, excitement, assertions, and conflict—these are the perfect "fuel" for increasing watch time and consumer desire.

In other words, technology has become a tool optimized for the "Stone Age brain of humanity."
It is evolving not to align with human reason, but rather to cater to our impulses and desires.

And we have accepted this design as a convenience without ever questioning it.

Chapter 2: A Social Structure That Does Not Allow for the Intervention of Reason

Before we knew it, society began to prioritize "feeling" over "thinking."

On social media, assertions are supported over complex arguments.
In politics, performance is valued over policy, and the media prioritizes shock value over calmness.
In business, documents must be concise and conclusions brief. Hesitation is discarded as "inefficient."

This is no longer just a trend. It is a
structured culture of speed.

The structure itself is designed to prevent the intervention of reason.
"Thinking slowly" is seen as a weakness, and "deliberating and hesitating" has lost its value.

Society as a whole is operating within an atmosphere where "fast, strong, and easy-to-understand" reactions are considered the optimal solution. Within such a structure, have we not lost the room to bring reason into play?

Chapter 3: What Should We Ask in an Age Where Ethics Cannot Keep Up?

Technology will not stop.
That is precisely why the "power to stop and think" is needed now more than ever.

AI is not neutral.
The designed goals, the provided data, the instilled values—everything reflects "someone's convenience."

And that "convenience" is almost never questioned.
Ethics are pushed to the back burner, only to be patched up after a problem occurs.
Thus, we live surrounded by "tools made of impulses and desires."

That is why what we need is to ask questions.

• For whom and for what purpose is it being used?

• Whose ethics is that design based on?

• Are we sacrificing someone in the future?

By having these questions, society's speed pauses for a moment, providing an opportunity to reconsider its direction.

Conclusion: What stops technology from running wild

Technology keeps advancing relentlessly.
It continues to accelerate while being optimized for human emotions and impulses.

If there is something that can put a brake on that,could it be not ethics, but the "question" itself?

Questions are slow and inconspicuous.
But as long as they exist, technology can avoid becoming a "neutral form of violence."
As long as there are people who ask questions, society will not fully accelerate to its limit.

When "the Earth can no longer hold on," what is it that we must not let go of?
It is not AI, nor is it technology—
it is the very attitude of continuing to ask questions.

★☆★ Thank you for reading until the end.
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