# Big Data, AI, and the Future of Humanity By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2024-10-05 Big Data promised to solve the world's problems about fifteen years ago. What people meant by Big Data and the world's problems was never clearly defined, but this prediction never came true. Today, Big Data has been replaced by AI as the cure to what ales the world. In all likelihood, AI will fail just as Big Data did. However, these ideas have and will continue to make an impact. Big Data ushered in cheaper data storage and better technologies to access and crunch through massive amounts of data. AI will likely continue along this path but focus on translating this data into something more useful for everyday users. This will come in information access and the ability to automate mundane yet organizationally complex tasks. Here, organizationally complexity is defined as a class of systems, activities, or problems with infinite variation within bounded parameters. So, think of drafting an email. There are infinite ways an email could be drafted. However, it is still bounded by text, language, coherence, intention, effectiveness, and email messaging protocols (e.g., from, to, subject, network packets, etc.). An email is an activity with bounded and infinite variation. Because it is bounded and we've recorded trillions of email examples via Big Data initiatives, AI is perfectly positioned to generate probabilistically good results within the boundary conditions. Thus, wherever such organized complex systems exist, AI will surely follow as long as enough data has been collected. Of course, many things are not these types of systems. Things like creativity and the universe are unbounded in their variation and potential. AI may venture into these areas, but we hardly know what makes us who we are. In all likelihood, current theories of the brain and consciousness are completely wrong, even though humans always think we have it all figured out now. History is littered with examples. So, where does this leave us? Once we've automated all the mundane, seemingly "complex" tasks with AI, we'll enter into the age of existential crisis where we ask ourselves what it really means to be human once again. Is it really valuable if a robot can do the "complex" task? Were the humans doing the task before lying to themselves about their value? Do all those emails need to be sent? How much of this organizationally complex work was complete bullshit? AI won't be eliminating people's jobs because the job is done better or cheaper by the AI, but because AI will highlight that the job was never needed in the first place. This is the mind fuck of the next 100 years. Buckle up and wear a helmet. #### Related Items [[Big Data]] [[Artificial Intelligence]] [[Work]] [[The Human Condition]] [[Existential]] [[Complexity]] [[Philosophy]] [[Organization]] [[Future]]