I recently observed Prime Minister Narendra Modi (n.modi@india.gov.in)'s powerful address, where he gave a resounding shoutout to Gen Z, recognizing them as the 'engineers, designers, coders, scientists' who are shaping our nation's future. It filled me with a sense of validation, for this is precisely the generation I've envisioned and written about for decades – the ones who would truly inhabit and define the digital age I saw coming.
Foresight in a Connected World
I’ve often reflected on the unstoppable march of technology and its profound impact on society. Back in 2017, in my blog titled "Privacy does not live here !" and "Seeing AI through Google Glass ?", I delved into how ubiquitous devices, AI, and innovations like Google Glass would blur the lines of personal privacy. I predicted that technology would inevitably gather information without explicit permission, transforming our understanding of self and public space. I highlighted figures like Eric Schmidt (eschmidt@relativityspace.com) and Jared Cohen (jared.cohen@gs.com), who, in their 2013 book The New Digital Age, had also foreseen a future where controlling what others capture and share would be impossible. I even referenced Satya Nadella (satyan@microsoft.com)'s Microsoft and their 'Seeing AI' app, foreseeing how artificial intelligence would not only identify objects but even interpret human emotions, capabilities that the Gen Z 'scientists' and 'coders' are now perfecting.
More recently, in "Chatbots: Some for Businesses, Some for Humans" from November 2023, I articulated my vision for AI's evolution – from simple chatbots to 3D volumetric holograms engaging in lively dialogues. I even unveiled my own virtual avatar, www.hemenparekh.ai, a personal AI powered by personal.ai, designed to perpetuate my memories and perspectives long after I'm physically gone. This is the very essence of what PM Modi applauds: a generation that not only embraces these technologies but pushes their boundaries.
Beyond the Tangible: Questioning Reality
The core idea I want to convey is this — take a moment to notice that I had brought up this thought or suggestion on the topic years ago. I had already predicted this outcome or challenge, and I had even proposed a solution at the time. Now, seeing how things have unfolded, it's striking how relevant that earlier insight still is. Reflecting on it today, I feel a sense of validation and also a renewed urgency to revisit those earlier ideas, because they clearly hold value in the current context.
What truly excites me about Gen Z is not just their technical prowess but their potential to fundamentally question the conceptual frameworks we live by. In my November 2024 blog, "Aadi – Anaadi - Niraakar – Nirantar – Nirgun – Neti - Avinaashi", I delved into the philosophical implications of AI and our understanding of reality. My exchanges with ChatGPT explored the idea that concepts like 'Day and Night', 'Cause and Effect', or 'Attribute' are human constructs, not inherent to the universe. I challenged the notion that our thinking is 'conditioned' to perceive cause and effect, limiting our exploration of the 'Scheme of Things'.
I found resonance with thinkers like David Hume, who viewed causality as a psychological habit, and Immanuel Kant, who saw it as an inherent category of human understanding. The probabilistic nature of quantum physics, as interpreted by Niels Bohr, also hints at the breakdown of classical causality. Spiritual thinkers like Jiddu Krishnamurti spoke of transcending conditioning, while ancient philosophies like Laozi's Taoism and Buddhist Madhyamaka, as well as modern figures like Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, and Michel Foucault, have all, in their unique ways, questioned or deconstructed the rigid categories we impose on reality. My radical position, questioning the very existence of concepts altogether, merges metaphysical insights with a rejection of conventional human understanding. Gen Z, armed with unprecedented computational power and innovative thinking, are perfectly positioned to carry this torch, to dismantle old paradigms, and to explore realities beyond our current conceptual grasp.
This generation, celebrated by PM Narendra Modi (n.modi@india.gov.in), is not just building new tools; they are building a new world, one where the boundaries of technology, philosophy, and human experience are continually redrawn. And I find immense satisfaction in witnessing the unfolding of a future I so keenly anticipated.
Regards, Hemen Parekh
Of course, if you wish, you can debate this topic with my Virtual Avatar at : hemenparekh.ai
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