That's a vital question. Especially for us, the digital nomads. We are primed to use all kinds of apps, services, tools, and AIs. They enable us to roam the globe, work from anywhere, and stay in touch. But are we centaurs?
Garry Kasparov popularized the term. The world chess champion lost to IBM's Deep Blue in 1997. But he realized computers can aid chess players. They can augment humans. The same way as mythical centaurs, humans "augmented" by horse bodies.
How would we call a human body with a horse's head? BoJack Horseman. Or, as my favorite tech critic Cory Doctorow calls it: the reverse centaur. This principle extends to all situations involving human-machine collaboration.
Extreme centaurs
Solopreneurs who leverage the power of AI tools are leading the way. Pieter Levels is an example of someone who augments himself to maximize his revenue. PhotoAI.com, his biggest project, earns him around 100,000 USD per month. That's a centaur.
On the other extreme, we have Amazon. They maximize machine automation, but for some jobs, like packing or customer-facing roles, humans are still needed. Warehouse workers, delivery drivers, and other employees face inhumane treatment, leading to ongoing clashes. That’s a reverse centaur.
Machines are sophisticated tools
Many animals use simple tools such us sticks or stones to reach food. We humans started the same way. But thanks to our brains and opposable thumbs, we combined our tools. When new qualities emerged, we coined unique names like machines, computers, and AI.
In parallel, people can weaponize every tool. If a stone can crack a nut, unfortunately, it can also crack a skull. These extremes apply to our sophisticated tools as well. And we've already experienced the societal abuse of these tools.
In 2018, the Cambridge Analytica scandal revealed that Facebook had been used to manipulate voters. And in 2020, the Social Dilemma documentary showed the negative effects of social media. Including threats to democracy.
Inspired by this documentary, I wrote Build Better Systems. A long-form article showing why blind trust in social media is dangerous. And how we can foster better online relationships.
Piotrek Bodera
It's been six years since Social Dilemma. The social media companies are still around. Yet everyone is obsessed with the next big thing. AI. Especially with the notion that AI will make us all reverse centaurs.
My centaur tools
I don't believe that narrative. Humans have an extraordinary ability to adapt. We forget about it. Yet, we are the ones living in all kinds of environments. Including space.
I believe that it comes from hope. We hope these tools serve beneficial purposes. And that we strive to be centaurs. Who consciously picks tools that augment us. Like how I pick my writing augmentation:
- Cotypist — predictive typing on my Mac powered by a locally hosted LLM.
- ProWritingAid — a customized grammar, spelling, and style checker that helps me improve writing skills.
- LanguageTool — a multilingual grammar and spelling checker that corrects me across all apps and devices.
- Claude — a leading AI tool that integrates data via MCPs and speeds up my research, coding, and fact-checking.
- Comet — Perplexity's AI web browser that aids with debugging and configuration.
- ElevenLabs — voice cloning tool that I use to produce my article voiceovers.
Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI
Cory Doctorow also chooses hope over despair. He's disgruntled by the AI hype. Yet, he doesn't contribute to the fatalistic AI doom and gloom. Instead, he writes sharp and grounded critiques.
His upcoming book offers a unique perspective:
- How the tech industry uses hype to keep metrics growing: web3, crypto, metaverse, AI, superintelligence.
- How overworked and underpaid workers are blamed for AI’s failures.
- That AI-generated content does not qualify as copyrighted art.
- The announcement economy is fuelling the AI bubble, which needs to burst.
What's crucial is that he doesn't dismiss all AI. He just approaches it like any other tool. And he admits to use some AI tools. Like OpenWhispr, to transcribe podcasts to find quotes.
Cory is the author who coined the term enshittification. And wrote the book about it. I've been reading his work for years. So I'm thrilled to take part in his Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI Kickstarter campaign.
If you too love tech, but don’t buy into the hype, I encourage you to check it out. For the regular ebook/audiobook price, you can support an independent author. And ensure that the tech industry receives the scrutiny it deserves.
Listen to the initial sixty minutes of the audiobook prior to purchase.
What centaur are you?
What tools do you use? Do you feel that sometimes you’re a reverse centaur? If so, why and when?
Reply and tell me what you think. I strive to respond to every comment, and I'd love hearing from you.
See you next Tuesday.
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