Humans are toolmakers

Making better tools is our moral duty

We humans are made to make tools.

We started with spears, to fend off predators and hunt mammoths.

Then we tamed fire, which kept us warm and let us eat foods we couldn't eat raw.

These tools helped us survive the wilderness.

Then we started taming it.

We learned to farm, so we could eat through the seasons.

We built wheels, so we could move heavy things.

We learned to build bigger and better structures.

We invented our way out of the wilderness. But it was only the start.

We invented electric light for our homes. Bikes made us the most efficient travelers in the animal kingdom. GPS made sure we’d never lose our way again.

We created an abundance that the richest of kings couldn't have imagined 200 years ago.

Now a new wave of tools is here, and suddenly we're afraid. Open a European newspaper and all you'll read are calls for caution and regulation of AI. We're so afraid of losing jobs, when we should be welcoming it instead. Is it a law of nature that offices must be full of people doing "knowledge work"? And what is so much of that work, really, but repetitive tasks and boring meetings?

Imagine putting all that human talent to use elsewhere. How beautifully could we build? How well could we teach our children? How skilled would our musicians and athletes become?

We are toolmakers, and we always will be. Instead of fighting that, we should embrace it, and ask what we can do with this marvelous new set of tools.