A brief history of information networks from the Stone Age to AI
When I picked up Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari, I didn’t just expect to read about futuristic ideas.
I wanted insights that I could connect to my own worlds: digital marketing and sustainability strategy. I found out that this book delivers all that and more.
It explores the intersections of AI, neuroscience, and human society in ways that left me both inspired and (I have to admit) uneasy.
This book doesn’t just describe a future shaped by digital technologies, it forces us to consider our role in shaping it. It's both scary and entertaining. In many parts of the book, I felt I was reading an academic essay on AI... but a good one. One that draws you in. I guess the main attraction is that Hariri talks, debates, informs and compares a technology we are still coming to terms with to our historic realtion to information.
The Future of Work: Lessons for Digital Marketers
One of the most striking parts of Nexus is Harari’s vision for the future of work. He predicts that AI will take over routine tasks and jobs based on repetition. This hit home for me as a digital marketer because automation tools like Google Ads Smart Bidding or AI-driven content creation platforms are already transforming how we work.
Harari’s insight that humans will need to focus on creativity and empathy resonated deeply. As marketers, this means focusing less on pushing out ads and more on understanding our audiences.
What do our audiences care about?
How how they feel?
What inspires them to act?
He writes:
“In an AI-dominated world, it’s not intelligence that makes humans valuable - it’s purpose and connection.”
For me, this reinforces the importance of human-centered storytelling in our campaigns. No matter how advanced the tech, it’s still our stories and emotional connections that drive results. In chapter 2 of the book, "Unlimited Stories" Hariri speaks at length about how adept our "carbon brains" are at remembering facts through stories but how bad our memory is at remembering facts without them i.e. excel sheets. So no matter how advanced the tech may become, it’s still our stories and emotional connections that will continue to drive results.
AI Politics: Climate Change and Global Decision-Making
One of the most striking sections of Nexus discusses how AI could play a pivotal role in global politics, particularly in tackling crises like climate change. Harari imagines a future where AI-driven systems guide international climate agreements, analyzing vast amounts of data to recommend policies that balance economic and environmental needs.
But he also warns about the risks of putting too much trust in algorithms.
Who programs these systems?
What biases do they inherit?
This reminded me of real-world challenges like carbon offsetting markets, where AI might help track emissions but could also be manipulated to obscure real accountability.
For example, Harari points to the potential of AI to predict the environmental impact of policies in real-time. He then raises a critical question:
Will governments and corporations follow through on recommendations, or will they use AI as an excuse to delay action?
To me, this mirrors current debates around greenwashing in corporate sustainability efforts.
AI and Politics: Implications for Marketing Strategy
Harari’s exploration of AI-driven politics is another fascinating section that feels eerily relevant to digital marketing. He talks about how algorithms could eventually govern society, making decisions faster and more efficiently than human ...but with risks.
The author of Nexus warns that AI systems, while powerful, can amplify biases if not carefully designed.
In marketing, we’re already seeing this with algorithm-driven platforms like Facebook and Google. These systems decide what ads to show and to whom, but they can also create echo chambers, reinforcing existing biases.
Are algorthims deadly, murderous?
Surely not!
Well, Hariri seems to think differently. He attributes the death In Myanmar, of 700,000 people partly to Facebooks's algorithm.
How?
Facebook’s engagement-driven algorithms played a significant role in amplifying hate speech and misinformation against the Rohingya Muslim minority, fueling the violence that led to mass atrocities and the displacement of over 700,000 people. By prioritizing content that elicited strong reactions like anger or fear, the platform inadvertently spread harmful narratives that incited real-world violence.
Despite warnings, Facebook failed to implement effective moderation. Many died. And the first digitally-proposed genocide in history took place.
Harari’s perspective made me think harder about balancing precision with ethics in social media campaigns.
Reflections and Takeaways
Nexus isn’t just a book about technology.
It’s a wake-up call about how we perceive and interact with AI.
Unlike past tools like the printing press or the telegraph, which relied entirely on human intent and effort, AI is fundamentally different. This is a tool that can think, reason, and act. It raises profound questions about responsibility.
If technologies of the past, controlled by humans, were linked to witch hunts and world wars, what awaits us with a tool capable of autonomous decisions?
For me, this book reaffirmed that while AI holds incredible potential, it must be approached with caution. Its power lies not just in its capabilities but in how we choose to direct and oversee it. Whether we’re designing campaigns or shaping strategies, the ultimate value of AI should be enhancing, not replacing, human connection and understanding.
Harari’s thoughts on adaptability also stood out. He emphasizes the importance of learning and evolving in a rapidly changing world.
In marketing, this is particularly true: those who embrace AI as a partner in creativity and problem-solving, rather than fear or misuse it, will thrive in the future. Nexus challenges us to see the possibilities and responsibilities of this new era with clarity.
Why You Should Read Nexus
In short, it's a book that will make you think about different perspectives. Historic, political, technological.. but perspectives on what and where AI will take us.
If you’re passionate about the intersection of technology, climate action, and society, Nexus will challenge and inspire you.
Harari’s insights made me think that while AI is reshaping our world, the outcomes depend on how we decide to use the tech. Its very different if the tech is used by an autocrat or by the leader of the free world...hold on, but that's soon going to be Donald Trump... I don't know... I'm confused...
My point is, that humans are much better at reflecting on and documenting the past than they are at predicting the future, and this book highlights that perfectly. Anyone that can predict the future usually is benefited... if she or he acts upon it.
It's a good book.