Yuval Harari's Warning on a Divided World: the Silicon Curtain and Data Colonialism

In his latest book Nexus, historian Yuval Noah Harari describes the Silicon Curtain as the emerging worldwide divide, drawing a compelling parallel to the Iron Curtain of the Cold War. Instead of ideology or military power, the new fault line is advancement in AI.

The Silicon Curtain divides the world into digitally advanced nations and those that are left behind. This divide determines who controls the flow of data and ultimately, power. The two superpowers, the United States and China, are locked in fierce competition, an AI arms race. Harari foresees in the future walled-off domains, each governed by its own values and surveillance systems. The US and China restrict each other’s access to critical AI software and hardware, such as advanced chips, through export bans. China has long outlawed platforms like Facebook, Google, and Wikipedia, while the US is considering banning TikTok. Each sphere of influence is developing its own distinct AI ecosystems. Over time, Chinese AI software will likely only run on Chinese hardware and infrastructure, while American systems will become exclusive to the US. Each side will promote its own set of political and social values throughout this process. As a result, the two spheres will find it more challenging to communicate, and this growing disconnect may hinder global cooperation for effective governance of AI, with an increased potential for open hostility.

This split will have profound consequences. It can fuel data colonialism where nations with advanced AI extract and exploit data from nations that have fallen behind in this arms race. Unlike imperialism of the past, which depended on expanding military power and securing land and resources, digital empires, through extraction and control of data, can create new dependencies, deepening inequalities worldwide. The concentration of data in the hands of select tech giants and dominant nations can spur unprecedented surveillance and manipulation.

Communication theorists Nick Couldry and Ulises Mejias have also expounded on the concept of data colonialism in their seminal book, The Costs of Connection. They posit that data extraction accommodates continuous surveillance of individuals and reduces human experience into raw material for capitalist production. This will particularly affect the Global South, where initiatives like Facebook’s Free Basics have been accused of data harvesting and compromising net neutrality. Weak data privacy laws in these regions leave populations open to abuse. Rampant data extraction impairs global fairness and destabilizes democratic institutions and sovereignty.

Yet, Harari does not give in to pessimism. Throughout history, he reminds us, humans have consistently shown an extraordinary capacity for compassion, empathy, altruism, and generosity, working together to overcome challenges and build thriving civilizations.

As the Silicon Curtain descends, will AI push humanity towards divergence and isolation, or can we find new ways to converge and create a future that benefits all?