Controlling and directing human beings through brain cells and smart microchips is a prophecy we have seen unfold in science fiction movies, and even read about in dystopian literature, where arts resort to fertile imagination to push ideas to their absolute limits. However, reality sometimes surpasses art. Has the shocking moment of truth arrived?
اضافة اعلان
This question is raised by Heba El-Sherif, Professor of Comparative Literature, in her book published by Al-Arabi Publishing in Cairo, titled "Fear – Or Post-Human." In the book, she revisits George Orwell’s 1949 prophecy in his famous novel 1984, where he anticipated increased surveillance and control over human lives. The novel envisioned the state of the world following World War II in light of the conflict then taking place between the Socialist-Communist bloc and the Western Capitalist bloc, and what it might lead to in terms of surveillance, control, and mind manipulation through the concept of "Big Brother Is Watching You."
The author argues that "Big Brother" no longer relies on hidden cameras or traditional security apparatuses, as modern technology has created a softer and more effective model of surveillance. In the world of smartphones, social media platforms, digital assistants, smartwatches, and location-tracking apps, human beings voluntarily share the details of their daily lives.
Thus, personal data is converted into a massive raw material that digital platforms and tech companies analyze to map out individuals' interests, habits, fears, and even political and consumer inclinations with precision.
The book points out that the most dangerous form of control today is not based on prohibition or punishment, but rather on steering choices. Algorithms determine what news users see and what remains hidden, suggest books, movies, and music, and gradually reshape their interests.
Over time, individuals believe they are making decisions with complete freedom, while their choices have actually been pre-crafted inside what is known as "filter bubbles," where they only encounter content that aligns with their prior interests.
In this context, the book links Orwell’s vision with Aldous Huxley’s vision in Brave New World. While Orwell imagined a society subdued by force and fear, Huxley envisioned a society controlled through temptation, entertainment, and constant gratification. The current digital reality clearly combines both models: surveillance takes place quietly, while control is exercised through comfort, pleasure, and seamless services rather than direct coercion.
The book also addresses the concept of "Post-Human," clarifying that it does not merely mean integrating the human body with technology or developing artificial intelligence, but rather refers to a broader transformation in the definition of the human being itself. As reliance on algorithms expands across medical, educational, and economic decision-making, an urgent question arises: Where does human authority end, and where does machine authority begin?
Furthermore, the author discusses the ethical risks accompanying this transformation, such as privacy violations, inherent algorithmic biases, the spread of deepfakes, and the potential use of AI to generate misinformation and influence public opinion, making the battle of the future not just a struggle over technology, but a fight for truth and consciousness.
Despite the book's cautionary tone, it does not call for rejecting or opposing technology. Instead, it advocates for building a critical digital culture, enacting legislation to protect privacy, and enhancing transparency in AI systems so that human beings do not turn into mere data sources or perpetual targets of covert manipulation.
