Esteemed historian and philosopher Yuval Noah Harari, author of ‘Sapiens,’ has issued a profound warning regarding the exponential growth of Artificial Intelligence, cautioning that its mastery over language poses an existential threat to the foundations of human civilization: law, religion, and democratic governance. Harari argues that AI’s ability to generate and manipulate language—the operating system of human society—gives it the power to create narratives, ideologies, and potentially even new sacred texts that fundamentally restructure human reality.
Harari suggests that the central danger is not merely job displacement but cognitive infiltration. Since human societies, religions, and legal systems are entirely dependent on shared stories, myths, and precise linguistic interpretation, an AI that achieves fluency can effectively assume control over the mechanisms of persuasion and truth. He notes that religion, in particular, is built on texts and prophecies; an AI capable of generating infinitely tailored, highly persuasive narratives could create synthetic, optimizing ideologies, thus undermining traditional faith structures and authority.
The domain of law faces similar peril. Legal frameworks rely exclusively on complex, precise linguistic interpretation. If AI is permitted to draft legislation, contracts, or judicial interpretations without deep human oversight, it could create systems that are technically efficient but structurally opaque or manipulative, circumventing democratic accountability and replacing human judgment with algorithmic fiat. Harari stresses that unlike previous technological revolutions, which primarily controlled resources or energy, the current AI revolution targets the human mind itself. He urges immediate and robust international regulation to prevent AI from seizing control of the core narratives that define human consciousness and agency.
Source: AI Is Poised to Take Over Language, Law and Religion, Historian Yuval Noah Harari Warns
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