Three signals to the future 005
On the dawn of regenerative leadership, the roots of Generative AI, and the platform enshittification
Welcome to the fifth edition of "Three Signals to the Future", a newsletter where I share resources that I find useful and thought-provoking. Let's dive into the latest discoveries.
On regenerative leadership
This article from illuminem.com discusses the concept of regenerative leadership as a response to ecological and social challenges. It criticizes current systems for treating the Earth like a business in liquidation and calls for a radical overhaul of values and systems. Regenerative leadership is centered around "Alternative Hedonism," which encourages pleasure derived from sustainable and restorative practices rather than consumerism. It emphasizes the need for collective action and systemic change, urging leaders to adopt principles of interconnectedness, circular economy, and biomimicry. This leadership approach is seen as a practical and necessary vision for survival and flourishing, advocating for radical optimism and creativity to lead humanity toward a sustainable and abundant future.
This is the essence of regenerative leadership. It's about showing, not just telling; about leading not to the edge of the cliff, but away from it, towards a horizon teeming with life and possibility.
▶︎ The dawn of regenerative leadership: steering away from ecological bankruptcy - Kasper Benjamin Reimer Bjørkskov
On the roots of generative AI
The article from Cybernetic Forests explores the historical and conceptual roots of generative AI, drawing parallels between the emergence of predictive analytics in Lloyd's coffee house in the 17th century and the modern data analytics that underpin AI. It discusses how social media platforms collect vast amounts of data for predictive analytics, similar to how Lloyd's collected maritime data. The article criticizes the tech industry for reducing human experiences to data points and argues that generative AI, especially through its use in creating images, erases the cultural and historical significance of source materials. The author reflects on the implications of AI-generated images, questioning the authenticity and meaning of these creations while highlighting the risks of a digital culture that prioritizes data over human experience.
What the walled gardens of social media networks collected — and sold to one another — was always served up under the illusion of anonymity. Even if we thought our data was identifiable (and it almost always is) we took comfort that no one would ever care to see it. It was one drop in the ocean of data surveillance. Orwellian as it was, mass surveillance suggested anonymity.
▶︎ The hypothetical image - Eryk Salvaggio
On the enshittification of platforms
The article from Pluralistic discusses the concept of "enshittification," a form of digital platform degradation. It contrasts this with the theory of Surveillance Capitalism, arguing that platforms like Facebook and Uber deteriorate by exploiting both business customers and end-users. This exploitation involves manipulating algorithms to control what users see and do, often to the detriment of all parties involved. The article also delves into the concept of rent-seeking in the digital age, where platforms manipulate their position to extract more value, often through deceptive means like "attention rents." Cory Doctorow suggests that effective regulation and enforcement are crucial to counter these practices and maintain the integrity of digital platforms.
The point of enshittification is to lock end-users to the platform, then use those locked-in users as bait for business customers, who will also become locked to the platform. Once everyone is holding everyone else hostage, the platform uses the flexibility of digital services to play a variety of algorithmic games to shift value from everyone to the business's shareholders.