Breaking Babel

A profound analysis of the terrifying technological project on which our world has embarked—and the ancient myth it recapitulates.

Digital technology is hijacking our attention, colonizing our consciousness, harvesting our personal data, and destroying our souls. We have become a nation of addicts, unable to turn away from the glowing light of those digital devices which enchant and possess us. Furthermore, our disease is facilitating the greatest concentration of power in history—except this time our Tower of Babel is taking the form of a web composed of silicon and electricity, a captivating and ubiquitous presence from which there is no escape.

Or is there?

As Mark T. Mitchell explains in Breaking Babel: Artificial Intelligence, Apocalypse, and the Revenge of Reality, just as the biblical Babel toppled, collapsing under the weight of its own hubris, the attempt to overcome human limits is fated to fail. Techno-optimists’ fever dreams of immortality and unparalleled power will ultimately be frustrated. Although we are bound to experience a period of intense chaos and confusion, reality will not be cheated.

Including practical advice for holding fast to the truly human in this troubling moment. Breaking Babel is essential reading for anyone who wishes to stay sane in an era of increasing madness.