Techistentialism & The Future of Decision-Making
“Techistentialism studies the nature of human beings, existence, and decision-making in our technological world. Today, we face both technological and existential conditions that can no longer be separated. We define this phenomenon as Techistentialism.”
Techistential Center for Human & Artificial Intelligence
Ethical, Existential & Technology Foresight
Today, we face both technological and existential conditions that can no longer be separated. Roger Spitz, founder of Techistential, defines this phenomenon as Techistentialism:
Techistentialism alludes specifically to the relation between technology and the nature of the human being (the latter is what existentialism studies).
Today technology is beginning to shape society by influencing decision-making and enabling manipulation at scale: At the same time, technology impedes upon the realm of our individual existence as acting agents. Decision-making is perhaps the most express manifestation of the unquestioned trust and power we place on technology. It is this paradigm shift from exclusively human decision-making to algorithmic decision-making which we believe brings about an existential challenge directed at humanity. At this intersection, we stand on the edge of our free will and our fundamental concepts of choice.
Our freedom as individuals is determined through our own choices and actions: Choice exists thanks to contingency. Computationally rational technology is no longer neutral as it drives away contingency in the circumstances of life. Contingency is the idea that possible events are uncertain; they may or may not happen, something may or may not arise. We have a choice to make regarding the use of technology. It is here that the existential dimension is confronted by the use of technology.
Read Roger Spitz’s seminal article on artificial intelligence and decision-making in the Journal of Futures Studies:
An Existential Framework for the Future of Decision-Making in Leadership
“An Existential Framework for the Future of Decision-Making in Leadership” – Chapter in Leadership for the Future: Lessons from the Past, Current Approaches, and Future Insights, Cambridge Scholars Publishing (United Kingdom)
Chapter synopsis: Prescriptive AI presents unprecedented challenges in understanding the benefits and shortcomings of technoscientific solutions. Where the potential benefits are often promoted, critical consideration concerning the limitations of AI follows with a lag. We aim to consider the epistemic context of AI decision-making in uncertain and complex environments in relation to leadership. Our framework uses Deleuzo-Sartrean existential philosophy to draw parallels between the emergent nature of Being and decision-making, in the context of advancements in AI. While AI provides increasing insights, decision-making at leadership level and in complex environments would benefit from understanding the nature of the scientific method.
Our Podcast Interviews About Techistentialism
In podcast interviews with Roger Spitz you can listen to discussions about our research on Techistentialism:
Machine Ethics Podcast (Ben Byford) - Taming Uncertainty with Roger Spitz: What is AI and its role in disruption? Is AI an existential risk? How can we tell the difference between potential disaster and limitless opportunity in the age of exponential technologies?
FuturePod - The Guidebook for 21st Century Decision-Making: Two years after their initial podcast recording, Roger Spitz updates Peter Hayward’s FuturePod on the release of the Disruptive Futures Institute’s four-Volume Guidebook. They discuss how to thrive on disruption in an age of complexity and decision-making AI.
Thriving on Overload with Ross Dawson: On this thought-provoking episode of Thriving on Overload, Ross Dawson and Roger Spitz dive deep into decision-making in the disruptive 21st century. They discuss the future of strategic decision-making in the context of humanity and how technology may be taking over areas of decision-making we never thought it would. They also speak about how these topics are being unpacked in boardrooms around the world - and how many businesses are still operating under the assumption business as usual.
FuturePod - The Essence of Being Human: Peter Hayward and Roger Spitz discuss that our true essence is found through our choices, experimentation, and creativity. These are three main ingredients to Agency, which is just one piece of Being AAA+ (comprising Anticipatory, Antifragility, Agility, Agency, and Alignment).
Pondering AI: Roger Spitz and Kimberly Nevala from SAS Institute reconcile strategy with philosophy, contemplate the influence of AI systems and the skills required to make decisions in the face of uncertainty.
Futures Intelligent Leadership Podcast with Roger Spitz and Rauli Nykänen: Roger Spitz and Rauli Westerstrand (Nykänen) discuss the implications of artificial intelligence on leadership and decision-making in complex environments. They connect the dots between AI and existential philosophy and explain the philosophical foundations of their chapter in Leadership for the Future, published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
AI For Good Paper
Beyond the Bottom Line:
Artificial Intelligence for Global Impact
Techistential published a rich set of Artificial Intelligence resources including checklists, references, and research by some of the world’s foremost AI thought leaders, on the challenges and opportunities of leveraging AI for social good.