Is AI humanity's greatest threat, or is it our own biology?
- Owen Epstein
- Jul 11
- 1 min read
Owen Epstein
Is AI humanity's greatest threat, or is it our own biology? This film argues that humankind’s “survival software” is dangerously maladapted to the modern world, relying on ancient behaviours calibrated for hunter-gatherers roaming prehistoric Africa. Integrating Daniel Kahneman’s Systems 1 and 2 thinking, Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, and Yuval Noah Harari’s work on myth and storytelling, the film illustrates how our slow-evolving neurophysiology, maladapted for the urban jungle, is dangerously vulnerable to fear and manipulation.
As technology advances exponentially, the film offers a radical twist: AI might not be our undoing, but our salvation. Properly implemented by legislation and corporate governance, a "Quick Slow Thinking Guardian" (QST Guardian) AI filter could compensate for our cognitive limitations and safeguard, rather than threaten the outlook for our species.
