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Caleb Scharf argues that all the data we create - all of our emails, tweets, selfies, A.I.-generated text and funny cat videos - amounts to an aggregate lifeform. It has goals and needs. It can control our behaviour and influence our well-being. And it's an organism that has evolved right alongside us. This symbiotic relationship with information offers a startling new lens for looking at the world. Data isn't just something we produce; it's the reason we exist. This powerful idea has the potential to upend the way we think about our technology, our role as humans, and the fundamental nature of life.
Caleb Scharf argues that all the data we create - all of our emails, tweets, selfies, A.I.-generated text and funny cat videos - amounts to an aggregate lifeform. It has goals and needs. It can control our behaviour and influence our well-being. And it's an organism that has evolved right alongside us. This symbiotic relationship with information offers a startling new lens for looking at the world. Data isn't just something we produce; it's the reason we exist. This powerful idea has the potential to upend the way we think about our technology, our role as humans, and the fundamental nature of life.