Happy new year ! This is the first post of 2025 and this time it is not a technical article (but it is about philosophy of technology 😄)
This is a short opinion article to share some notes on the book by the French philosopher Gilbert Simondon called “On the Mode of Existence of Technical Objects” (Du mode d’existence des objets techniques) from 1958. Despite his significant contributions, Simondon still (and incredibly) remains relatively unknown, and it seems to me that this is partly due to the delayed translation of his works. I realized recently that his philosophy of technology aligns very well with an actionable understanding of AI/ML. His insights illuminated a lot for me on how we should approach modern technology and what cultural and societal changes are needed to view AI as an evolving entity that can be harmonised with human needs. This perspective offers an alternative to the current cultural polarization between technophilia and technophobia, which often leads to alienation and misoneism. I think that this work from 1958 provides more enlightening and actionable insights than many contemporary discussions of AI and machine learning, which often prioritise media attention over public education. Simondon’s book is very dense and it was very difficult to read (I found it more difficult than Heidegger’s work on philosophy of technology), so in my quest to simplify it I might be guilty of simplism in some cases.