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It is simply natural that as the internet grows and English resources become more and more valuable (a value to which AI adds), other languages will become crus

It is simply natural that as the internet grows and English resources become more and more valuable (a value to which AI adds), other languages will become crushed. Frankly, I think it's not good. Yes, we are increasing short-term wealth by uniformizing everything, but in the larger scope of things, we are also locking humanity into a machine where there is less and less variation, all for the purposes of advancing technology. And, should continued technological advancement turn out poorly for society (as it is seemingly doing with climate change, made possible only with science and technology), the lack of variation will make it almost impossible for us to adapt. It's just like in evolution: a lack of sufficient genetic variation makes it harder for populations to adapt to rapid changes.

sargun 3y ago
How will technology target English, versus say, a tail language?
- taway_6PplYu5 3y ago
  Hmm,, <looks at python>, Hey, anyone remember Lisp?
corimaith 3y ago
Well it's not like a myriad of village then regional cultures haven't been already crushed in the creation of the modern nation-states. But that dosen't mean the end of diversity either, new cultures built on that modern era emerge in turn to take their place. The counter-argument I'd give is that trying to artifically preserve everything, to maintain divisions is essentially tying ourselves to the weight of the past. The monoculture of today may find it's roots in English, but it's not like one can share and integrate the best parts of their culture into that monoculture. And that monoculture in turn has birthed a myriad of subcultures and hobbyists that are just as culturally rich as the preceding era. And perhaps unlike those old cultures, they stand by their merits, anybody can be part of it. With regionalism, with nationalism that's not the case. Something that's built for a specific "tribe" is going to have much less for me.
- vouaobrasil 3y ago
  Yes, but the new cultures build will be artificially restricted to be compatible with shallow consumerism and technological growth. True diversity depends precisely on not being restricted this way. (Think of tribes, indigenous populations, etc.)

sargun 3y ago

How will technology target English, versus say, a tail language?

taway_6PplYu5 3y ago
Hmm,, <looks at python>, Hey, anyone remember Lisp?

corimaith 3y ago

Well it's not like a myriad of village then regional cultures haven't been already crushed in the creation of the modern nation-states. But that dosen't mean the end of diversity either, new cultures built on that modern era emerge in turn to take their place. The counter-argument I'd give is that trying to artifically preserve everything, to maintain divisions is essentially tying ourselves to the weight of the past. The monoculture of today may find it's roots in English, but it's not like one can share and integrate the best parts of their culture into that monoculture. And that monoculture in turn has birthed a myriad of subcultures and hobbyists that are just as culturally rich as the preceding era. And perhaps unlike those old cultures, they stand by their merits, anybody can be part of it. With regionalism, with nationalism that's not the case. Something that's built for a specific "tribe" is going to have much less for me.

vouaobrasil 3y ago
Yes, but the new cultures build will be artificially restricted to be compatible with shallow consumerism and technological growth. True diversity depends precisely on not being restricted this way. (Think of tribes, indigenous populations, etc.)