In the grand chessboard of technological evolution, a pivotal Shakespearean question looms large: e/acc or d/acc?
This is not merely a choice between acronyms but a profound decision that could dictate the trajectory of our digital future - and life on earth. Web3 enthusiasts, take heed: if you champion the cause of decentralization, then d/acc should be your battle cry. There is a reason why OGs like Ryan Selkis and Vitalik Buterin advocate and embody a defensive, discerning, decentralised, deliberate accelerationism:
Here's why:
The Power Shift: e/acc threatens to perpetuate a world where a select few wield "power over" the masses, dictating the digital diet of many and setting the rules for developers and creators. In stark contrast, Web3 envisions a paradigm of "power as" the individual and "power with" the collective. The essence of blockchain is to dismantle the reign of intermediaries, no?
The Holistic Imperative: e/acc's narrow focus fails to address the broader spectrum of our challenges. Technological solutions alone cannot rescue us from entrenched belief systems. Ayana Young's insights resonate here, underscoring the need for humanity to ascend to a higher plane of consciousness. d/acc gives us the oxygen tent to evolve from human beings to interbecomings as Indy Johar, CEO of Dark Matter Labs so poignantly puts it on the Accidental Gods podcast. Clinging to reductionism is a path to nowhere.
The Acceleration of Moloch: e/acc has birthed the likes of Facebook and Instagram, entrapping us in a vicious cycle of perverse incentives for both corporations and consumers. As Liv Boeree, a brilliant thinker and famous poker player, explores on her podcast with Metacrisis OG Daniel Schmachtenberger, e/acc indeed accelerates our collective spiralling towards a nadir of societal values.
For the staunch e/acc advocate, these arguments may fall on deaf ears. But consider this: did you embrace the Moderna vaccine, a product of rushed and minimally tested RNA technology? This, in my opinion, epitomizes the essence of e/acc.
I am no Marc Andreessen, but as an early adopter of the internet in 1995, I have witnessed the transformation of my techno-optimism into a more balanced stance. Andreessen's Techno Optimism Manifesto, with its "tech bro" vernacular, seems disconnected from today's realities of billion's of people, let alone the beyond human realm. Jenny Stefano's witty critique, which brands it as a parody, strikes a chord with me.
Consider these three startling facts about AI:
AI is the first tool capable of autonomous decision-making, including the operation of weapon systems.
AI can independently generate novel ideas.
AI has the potential to usurp human power, unlike previous tools which augmented it.
Are you still an e/acc proponent? Let's reflect on humanity's poor track record in foreseeing the unintended consequences of innovation, particularly the second and third-order effects. Take, for example, the theory that patriarchy was an accidental byproduct of the humble plow's introduction to agriculture.
Techno Optimism is irreconcilable with the ancient wisdom and teachings from mother nature I have received through many plant medicine rituals and psychedelic journeys. There is simply more to the universe than science, engineering and product-market fit. Would Andreessen, Bezos & you promote e/acc if it didn't entice the chance of a financial 100x...?
Speaking of economics...e/acc, in my view, is inextricably linked to Neo-liberalism, a doctrine that seems predestined for self-destruction. Unlike nature's apex predators, which operate within the confines of their ecosystems, Neo-liberalism and the GDP growth imperative are on a collision course with every planetary boundary. Some even describe late-stage capitalism as a "death cult."
Life wants to live...hence, a discerning, decentralized, and defensive approach to accelerationism aligns more closely with the natural order: "Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished," as Lao Tzu wisely observed.
There is a reason why Bitcoin and Ethereum take the long-road, because both blockchains know their evolutionary purpose.
