Technological alienation and how networked digitality constitutes a map for understanding the complexity of individual and collective consciousness

IF 6.1 Q2 COMPUTER SCIENCE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI & Society Pub Date : 2026-06-22 DOI:10.1007/s00146-026-03162-y

Betto van Waarden

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Abstract

Technology is feared to foster alienation, and may even come to control us through superintelligence. Yet this fear is exacerbated by a reductionist assumption that humans are defined mentally by their intelligence. Human consciousness is broader than intelligence, but how does it actually function? This article will suggest that these two problems of technological alienation and consciousness can actually help inform each other. Going beyond the intelligence-focused computational theory of mind, it will argue that technology can help us conceptualize the networked multidimensionality of consciousness. This multidimensional consciousness counters assumptions of alienation and suggests human compatibility with a modern accelerated society, provided we restructure its logic based on our complex consciousness rather than on mere intelligence. The article makes this argument in three parts. First, it reviews the notion of alienation by focusing on Robert Hassan’s theorized transition from analog to digital, and problematizes existing assumptions about analog and how it is supposed to reflect a linear logic in humans. Second, it uses networked digitality as a heuristic guide to understanding the multidimensional nature, scope, and simultaneity of individual consciousness. Third, it suggests that networked digitality can even help us to transcend the individual to imagine a multisensory connected collective consciousness. The article ends with an outlook on how we can start to rethink our socio-political institutions in light of multidimensional consciousness so that they remain liberal democratic rather than being hijacked by technological totalitarianism.

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技术异化和网络数字化如何构成理解个人和集体意识复杂性的地图

人们担心技术会助长异化，甚至可能通过超级智能来控制我们。然而，这种恐惧被一种简化论者的假设加剧了，即人类的精神是由智力决定的。人类意识比智力更广泛，但它实际上是如何运作的呢？本文将提出，技术异化和意识这两个问题实际上可以相互促进。超越了以智能为中心的思维计算理论，它将认为技术可以帮助我们概念化意识的网络化多维度。这种多维意识反驳了异化的假设，并表明人类与现代加速社会的兼容性，只要我们基于复杂的意识而不是仅仅基于智力来重组其逻辑。本文分三部分进行论述。首先，它通过关注罗伯特·哈桑从模拟到数字的理论化过渡来回顾异化的概念，并对现有的关于模拟的假设提出问题，以及它应该如何反映人类的线性逻辑。其次，它使用网络数字化作为启发式指南来理解个体意识的多维性质、范围和同时性。第三，它表明网络化数字化甚至可以帮助我们超越个人，想象一个多感官连接的集体意识。文章最后展望了我们如何在多维意识的基础上重新思考我们的社会政治制度，使它们保持自由民主，而不是被技术极权主义所劫持。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

AI & Society COMPUTER SCIENCE, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE-

CiteScore

8.00

自引率

20.00%

发文量

257

期刊介绍： AI & Society: Knowledge, Culture and Communication, is an International Journal publishing refereed scholarly articles, position papers, debates, short communications, and reviews of books and other publications. Established in 1987, the Journal focuses on societal issues including the design, use, management, and policy of information, communications and new media technologies, with a particular emphasis on cultural, social, cognitive, economic, ethical, and philosophical implications. AI & Society has a broad scope and is strongly interdisciplinary. We welcome contributions and participation from researchers and practitioners in a variety of fields including information technologies, humanities, social sciences, arts and sciences. This includes broader societal and cultural impacts, for example on governance, security, sustainability, identity, inclusion, working life, corporate and community welfare, and well-being of people. Co-authored articles from diverse disciplines are encouraged. AI & Society seeks to promote an understanding of the potential, transformative impacts and critical consequences of pervasive technology for societies. Technological innovations, including new sciences such as biotech, nanotech and neuroscience, offer a great potential for societies, but also pose existential risk. Rooted in the human-centred tradition of science and technology, the Journal acts as a catalyst, promoter and facilitator of engagement with diversity of voices and over-the-horizon issues of arts, science, technology and society. AI & Society expects that, in keeping with the ethos of the journal, submissions should provide a substantial and explicit argument on the societal dimension of research, particularly the benefits, impacts and implications for society. This may include factors such as trust, biases, privacy, reliability, responsibility, and competence of AI systems. Such arguments should be validated by critical comment on current research in this area. Curmudgeon Corner will retain its opinionated ethos. The journal is in three parts: a) full length scholarly articles; b) strategic ideas, critical reviews and reflections; c) Student Forum is for emerging researchers and new voices to communicate their ongoing research to the wider academic community, mentored by the Journal Advisory Board; Book Reviews and News; Curmudgeon Corner for the opinionated. Papers in the Original Section may include original papers, which are underpinned by theoretical, methodological, conceptual or philosophical foundations. The Open Forum Section may include strategic ideas, critical reviews and potential implications for society of current research. Network Research Section papers make substantial contributions to theoretical and methodological foundations within societal domains. These will be multi-authored papers that include a summary of the contribution of each author to the paper. Original, Open Forum and Network papers are peer reviewed. The Student Forum Section may include theoretical, methodological, and application orientations of ongoing research including case studies, as well as, contextual action research experiences. Papers in this section are normally single-authored and are also formally reviewed. Curmudgeon Corner is a short opinionated column on trends in technology, arts, science and society, commenting emphatically on issues of concern to the research community and wider society. Normal word length: Original and Network Articles 10k, Open Forum 8k, Student Forum 6k, Curmudgeon 1k. The exception to the co-author limit of Original and Open Forum (4), Network (10), Student (3) and Curmudgeon (2) articles will be considered for their special contributions. Please do not send your submissions by email but use the "Submit manuscript" button. NOTE TO AUTHORS: The Journal expects its authors to include, in their submissions: a) An acknowledgement of the pre-accept/pre-publication versions of their manuscripts on non-commercial and academic sites. b) Images: obtain permissions from the copyright holder/original sources. c) Formal permission from their ethics committees when conducting studies with people.