Fear and hope

Man or machine? Who will win the match?

The Transformers series has attracted millions of people to cinemas worldwide. What still falls under the category of "science fiction" as a film could soon become reality in real life, namely that technology is outstripping humans.

(Bild: 2024 Paramount Pictures)

Will technology soon trump humans and make them superfluous? What should the "new human" be like? These are crucial questions that our society needs to ask itself more than ever.

The fear of being replaced by machines has been around for a long time. But it has probably never been as justified as it is now. The world is at a crossroads. Reason enough for the Vorarlberg Chamber of Labor to invite the renowned Austrian philosopher Lisz Hirn to Feldkirch as part of the "Knowledge for Life" lecture series. A central question of her work is: "What must the new human being be like"? In her lecture, Hirn discussed the effects of technological development on our self-image and emphasized the need to rethink what it means to be human. Sounds very philosophical? It is, but the topic has a very real and tangible background. Many political developments are heading in a worrying direction, which is partly reflected in a new understanding of technology. Humans are to be optimized - the vision of the superhuman, who is flawless and perfect, has become socially acceptable.

The vision of an improved human being
The term transhumanism describes the endeavor to expand the limits of human possibilities through technological processes. The aim is to control human evolution and improve the quality of life according to individual wishes. "That actually sounds very appealing. However, it also involves intervening in human genetic material prenatally in order to make a selection as to how my child could be enhanced (note: improved)," says Hirn. Addition: "That is both tempting and frightening at the same time." The so-called post-humanists are even trying to overcome humans altogether; they want to create the superhuman.

 "One immediately thinks of the fantasies that come to us from Silicon Valley, and rightly so." Friedrich Nietzsche already described the superhuman, but his theories were often misunderstood. Today, Nietzsche is back in fashion, with personalities such as US Vice President JD Vance referring to him time and again. The main problem for Hirn: "Creating the superhuman should not be the task of individuals, but of everyone in society. The question is whether we have not already begun to overcome ourselves."

Are people becoming the plaything of technology?
The philosopher by no means wants to demonize technological progress - "but moral integrity must not fall by the wayside". Which also means that it is not least about the attitude of those who drive technological progress. To better illustrate this, Hirn cites an example from modern mythology, namely the famous Spiderman parable: "Spiderman, a shy young man with integrity, becomes a superhero after being bitten by a spider. His opponent, the Goblin, an intelligent, power-hungry scientist, instills his superpower through technology and research. The point is that one person's superpower is morally guaranteed, the other's is not."

Creating the superhuman should not be the task of individuals, but of everyone in society. The question arises as to whether we have not already begun to overcome ourselves.

Lisz Hirn, Philosophin

Bild: Inge Prader

No one will deny that technology should support people. But the central question is: should we really do everything we can do? And to what extent are we unlearning how to be human through the unrestrained use of technology? Only if we radically reflect on ourselves will we ultimately be able to defend ourselves against authoritarian and anti-democratic tendencies. But if we blindly follow technology, this path could lead to self-enslavement. And what should the new human being be like? Hirn pleads for a new modesty: "The new man will have to take responsibility as well as modesty. Caring for others and caring for ourselves would be essential defining points for us humans."

Many questions that we should also ask ourselves
Hirn would like to see a society that is aware of its limits and critically reflects on technological developments. "How far we go, which developments we allow and who decides what should happen are questions that we as an entire civil society need to address. Although these are undoubtedly ethical, political and social decisions, they are essentially also questions of individual conscience. For example, do I have to do everything on my smartphone, do I really have to follow every innovation-promising trend, every hype?"