Are We Coding Our Humanity? A Review of Flynn Coleman’s "A Human Algorithm"
I recently dove into Flynn Coleman’s A Human Algorithm: How Artificial Intelligence is Redefining Who We Are, and it is the wake-up call we need. Coleman, a human rights lawyer and activist, doesn't just look at AI as a collection of cold codes; she views it as a mirror of our own values, flaws, and potential
In an era where we are constantly told that AI will either save the world or end it, it’s easy to feel like a passive observer in a high-tech revolution. But as someone who advocates for digital literacy, I believe our most important task isn’t just learning how to use these tools—it’s understanding how they are reshaping us.
I recently dove into Flynn Coleman’s A Human Algorithm: How Artificial Intelligence is Redefining Who We Are, and it is the wake-up call we need. Coleman, a human rights lawyer and activist, doesn't just look at AI as a collection of cold codes; she views it as a mirror of our own values, flaws, and potential.
The New "Trinity Test"
One of the most striking reflections on this book compares our current moment to the "Trinity Test"—the first atomic bomb explosion. While that historic event happened in a remote desert with a few scientists, our "AI Trinity Test" is happening everywhere, all at once, and we are all participants. Every time we interact with a voice assistant or search engine, we are feeding the algorithm.
Coleman argues that we are at a crossroads: machines are beginning to reason and improve themselves in ways we might soon find incomprehensible. The question is no longer just "what can AI do?" but "how do we ensure AI is infused with human morality?".
Peeling the Glass Onion
The book describes AI as a "glass onion", a metaphor for a technology where the center is visible, but its true effects can only be understood by peeling back layer after layer of complexity. For those of us focused on digital literacy, these layers include:
- The Ethical Dilemma: How do we teach a machine the "trolley problem" or complex human empathy?
- The Literacy Gap: Coleman notes the danger when only a certain class or race wields the power to develop these innovations, potentially reinforcing our worst biases instead of our highest values.
- The Future of Work and Education: From personalized learning to the threat of automated plagiarism, AI is already rewriting the rules of how we learn and work.
Why This Matters to Us
The core message that resonated with me as an advocate is this: "There can be no moral machine without a moral person". Coleman reminds us that while AI is created in the image of humans, humans are embodied, ensouled creatures—AI is not. Our empathy, our capacity to feel what others feel, is our "human algorithm" that we must protect and expand.
Coleman doesn't leave us in despair. She provides a hopeful roadmap, highlighting groups already working to ensure AI evolves with human rights and equity as its foundation.
Final Thought
If we get this right, AI becomes a "wonderful new partner." If we get it wrong, we risk a "new dark era". For anyone trying to navigate the digital world with intention, this book is essential reading. It challenges us to move beyond being mere users of technology and to become the architects of its moral compass.
Recep Zerk