{"id":12625,"date":"2023-02-27T16:05:43","date_gmt":"2023-02-27T16:05:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/TheNextWeb=1394437"},"modified":"2023-02-27T16:05:43","modified_gmt":"2023-02-27T16:05:43","slug":"what-the-mesopotamians-can-teach-us-about-chat-gpt-and-the-impact-of-new-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/?p=12625","title":{"rendered":"What the Mesopotamians can teach us about Chat GPT and the impact of new tech"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Adapting to technological advances is a defining part of 21st-century life. But it\u2019s not unique to us: it\u2019s been part of the human story since our earliest written records \u2013 even featuring in the plotlines of ancient myths and legends.<\/p>\n<p>While <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-chatgpt-chatbot-is-blowing-people-away-with-its-writing-skills-an-expert-explains-why-its-so-impressive-195908\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">ChatGPT<\/a> threatens to change writing (and writing-related work) as we know it, the Mesopotamians, who lived 4,000 years ago (in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getty.edu\/art\/exhibitions\/mesopotamia\/explore.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">a geographical area<\/a> centred in modern-day Iraq), went through this kind of seismic change before us. Their civilisation is credited with the invention of writing.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"The Mesopotamians are credited with the invention of writing. The city of Babylon, whose ruins are pictured here, was a centre of Mesopotamian culture.Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" class=\"js-lazy\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=399&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=399&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=399&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=501&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=501&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=501&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/what-the-mesopotamians-can-teach-us-about-chat-gpt-and-the-impact-of-new-tech#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Ffuture-of-work%2F2023%2F02%2F27%2Fwhat-the-mesopotamians-can-teach-us-about-chat-gpt-and-the-impact-of-new-tech%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The Mesopotamians are credited with the invention of writing. The city of Babylon, whose ruins are pictured here, was a centre of Mesopotamian culture. Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY\" data-title=\"Share The Mesopotamians are credited with the invention of writing. The city of Babylon, whose ruins are pictured here, was a centre of Mesopotamian culture. Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The Mesopotamians are credited with the invention of writing. The city of Babylon, whose ruins are pictured here, was a centre of Mesopotamian culture. Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>The Mesopotamians are credited with the invention of writing. The city of Babylon, whose ruins are pictured here, was a centre of Mesopotamian culture. Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"The Mesopotamians are credited with the invention of writing. The city of Babylon, whose ruins are pictured here, was a centre of Mesopotamian culture.Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY\" width=\"600\" height=\"399\" class srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=399&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=399&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=399&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=501&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=501&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509553\/original\/file-20230211-28-lr3txz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=501&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2>Living in changing times<\/h2>\n<p>Just two months after launching in November 2022, OpenAI\u2019s ChatGPT has already reached an audience of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2023\/feb\/02\/chatgpt-100-million-users-open-ai-fastest-growing-app\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">over 100 million people<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper channel-cta\">\n<div class=\"ica-text\" readability=\"0\"><a href=\"https:\/\/earlybird.thenextweb.com\/tnw-valencia\/2-for-1-Business-Pass?utm_source=TNWWebsite&amp;utm_medium=inarticlebox&amp;utm_campaign=inarticleflashsale\" data-event-category=\"Article\" data-event-action=\"In Article Block\" data-event-label=\"Don\u2019t miss out on our limited 2-for-1 offer ending soon!\" target=\"_blank\" readability=\"2\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><\/p>\n<h4>Don\u2019t miss out on our limited 2-for-1 offer ending soon!<\/h4>\n<p>The heart of tech is coming to the heart of the Mediterranean &#8211; March 30 &#8211; 31<\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The large language model (LLM), sometimes called \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/business-reporter.co.uk\/technology\/chatgpt-a-big-step-towards-true-ai-or-autocomplete-on-steroids\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">autocomplete on steroids<\/a>\u201d, has drawn attention for its capacity to create human-like answers to queries. Its work has received passing grades on <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2023\/01\/26\/tech\/chatgpt-passes-exams\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">university law and business exams<\/a>, and been used in a Colombian court to help <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2023\/feb\/03\/colombia-judge-chatgpt-ruling\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">decide a legal ruling<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Responses to ChatGPT and its competitors have vacillated between recognising the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.statnews.com\/2023\/02\/01\/promises-pitfalls-chatgpt-assisted-medicine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">potential risks<\/a> of the chatbot and extolling its <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/chatgpt-is-great-youre-just-using-it-wrong-198848\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">possible benefits<\/a>. We\u2019re flooded with theories on how new advances in <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/topic\/artificial-intelligence\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AI<\/a> may change how we work, study and live.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.worldhistory.org\/Mesopotamia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Ancient Mesopotamia<\/a> was home to many of civilisation\u2019s early developments. Its people were world leaders in adapting to technological and cultural change.<\/p>\n<p>Mesopotamians invented <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thoughtco.com\/the-invention-of-the-wheel-1992669\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">the wheel<\/a> and agriculture, and pioneered advances in mathematics, urbanisation and transportation. These breakthroughs are reflected in cuneiform literature, one of the oldest known forms of writing.<\/p>\n<p>The history of cuneiform writing is complex, but it seems to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishmuseum.org\/blog\/how-write-cuneiform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">initially developed<\/a> to record economic data, such as debts that were owed. Over time, however, the Mesopotamians widened their use of signs inscribed into clay tablets to record a variety of information, in numerous languages. New uses covered everything from diplomatic correspondences to omen texts, to some of the world\u2019s oldest literary masterpieces.<\/p>\n<h2>Tech-assisted heroes<\/h2>\n<p>In the world\u2019s earliest known written epic, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/guide-to-the-classics-the-epic-of-gilgamesh-73444\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Gilgamesh<\/a>, the eponymous hero is shown inventing and using technologies, such as diving weights and a sail, to further his journey to the edges of the world \u2013 and beyond.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\" readability=\"4\">\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"Mesopotamian epics feature numerous battles, some using technology such as advanced weaponry.Wikimedia Commons\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" class=\"js-lazy\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/what-the-mesopotamians-can-teach-us-about-chat-gpt-and-the-impact-of-new-tech#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Ffuture-of-work%2F2023%2F02%2F27%2Fwhat-the-mesopotamians-can-teach-us-about-chat-gpt-and-the-impact-of-new-tech%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Mesopotamian epics feature numerous battles, some using technology such as advanced weaponry. Wikimedia Commons\" data-title=\"Share Mesopotamian epics feature numerous battles, some using technology such as advanced weaponry. Wikimedia Commons on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Mesopotamian epics feature numerous battles, some using technology such as advanced weaponry. Wikimedia Commons on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>Mesopotamian epics feature numerous battles, some using technology such as advanced weaponry. Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"Mesopotamian epics feature numerous battles, some using technology such as advanced weaponry.Wikimedia Commons\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" class srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=600&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509406\/original\/file-20230210-26-sl01b6.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=754&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>As noted by Assyriologist Andrew George, the young hero develops new technologies to help his quest for fame and immortality. These advances allow him to engage in previously unknown activities, such as sailing and deep-sea diving.<\/p>\n<p>Another royal hero from Mesopotamia, Lugalbanda (sometimes known <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/marvel-meets-mesopotamia-how-modern-comics-preserve-ancient-myths-101529\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">for his super speed<\/a>) is also credited with technological advancement. Lugalbanda improves the technique of fire-starting by using flint to spark embers and bake bread. The heroes\u2019 use of new tools emphasises their exceptionalism.<\/p>\n<h2>Inventions and ambiguity<\/h2>\n<p>Mesopotamian epics don\u2019t present cultural and technological advances as unambiguously and uniformly beneficial. In Gilgamesh, the benefits of civilisation and urbanisation, such as advances in wall-building technology, are juxtaposed with their costs \u2013 such as environmental destruction and alienation from the wild.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the epics often represent new technologies being harnessed in the service of human conflict \u2013 and disproportionately serving the interests of those with high social status. In the Sumerian epic <a href=\"https:\/\/etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk\/section1\/tr1823.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta<\/a>, the heroic king defeats his enemy by inventing and using superior technology: the ability to write on clay tablets.<\/p>\n<p>This invention is also thought to be referenced in the <a href=\"https:\/\/etcsl.orinst.ox.ac.uk\/section2\/tr214.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Epic of Sargon<\/a>, where Sargon appears to dodge a murder attempt through his epic reading skills. The text notes that while writing on tablets had been developed at that stage, the use of envelopes to hide their contents had not (perhaps luckily for Sargon).<\/p>\n<p>In some ways, the representation of new technologies in cuneiform literature echoes contemporary concerns about AI: fears of <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/artificial-intelligence-can-deepen-social-inequality-here-are-5-ways-to-help-prevent-this-152226\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">increasing social inequalities<\/a> and its potential use in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/next\/2022\/12\/26\/ai-cyber-attacks-are-a-critical-threat-this-is-how-nato-is-countering-them\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">cyberwarfare<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"align-center zoomable\" readability=\"7\">\n<p><figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px\" alt=\"In Gilgamesh, the benefits of civilisation and urbanisation are juxtaposed with their costs, like environmental destruction. This clay tablet is inscribed with part of the epic of Gilgamesh.Zunkir\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY\" width=\"600\" height=\"586\" class=\"js-lazy\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip\" alt=\"In Gilgamesh, the benefits of civilisation and urbanisation are juxtaposed with their costs, like environmental destruction. This clay tablet is inscribed with part of the epic of Gilgamesh.Zunkir\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY\" width=\"600\" height=\"586\" class srcset=\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=586&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/509407\/original\/file-20230210-16-y97970.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=737&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w\"><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption><a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/what-the-mesopotamians-can-teach-us-about-chat-gpt-and-the-impact-of-new-tech#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Ffuture-of-work%2F2023%2F02%2F27%2Fwhat-the-mesopotamians-can-teach-us-about-chat-gpt-and-the-impact-of-new-tech%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: In Gilgamesh, the benefits of civilisation and urbanisation are juxtaposed with their costs, like environmental destruction. This clay tablet is inscribed with part of the epic of Gilgamesh. Zunkir\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY\" data-title=\"Share In Gilgamesh, the benefits of civilisation and urbanisation are juxtaposed with their costs, like environmental destruction. This clay tablet is inscribed with part of the epic of Gilgamesh. Zunkir\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share In Gilgamesh, the benefits of civilisation and urbanisation are juxtaposed with their costs, like environmental destruction. This clay tablet is inscribed with part of the epic of Gilgamesh. Zunkir\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"><\/i><\/a>In Gilgamesh, the benefits of civilisation and urbanisation are juxtaposed with their costs, like environmental destruction. This clay tablet is inscribed with part of the epic of Gilgamesh. Zunkir\/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<h2>The future of history<\/h2>\n<p>Studying the past can deepen our understanding of how humans have adapted to modern technology over thousands of years. Conversely, modern technology continues to broaden our understanding of history.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, AI \u2013 the newest form of writing \u2013 has been used to decipher the oldest: cuneiform literature. <a href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2023-02-ai-texts-thousands-years-readable.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">The Fragmentarium project<\/a>, for example, uses sophisticated algorithms to determine which fragments of shattered cuneiform texts belong together; these algorithms predict the text that once filled the missing sections.<\/p>\n<p>AI will likely continue to alter the way historians analyse the past. This will require new considerations around familiar issues \u2013 such as how to represent the past accurately in light of possibly biased evidence, and the need to critically evaluate sources of information.<\/p>\n<p>In the broader field of academia, the boundaries of how AI may be used have not yet been clearly explained. In January, for example, a top international AI conference <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2023\/1\/5\/23540291\/chatgpt-ai-writing-tool-banned-writing-academic-icml-paper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">banned the use of AI tools <\/a>for writing scientific papers \u2013 though its use in editing papers was accepted.<\/p>\n<h2>Considering the limits of technology<\/h2>\n<p>Even those early <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/latest\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tech<\/a> adapters, the Mesopotamians, ran into problems the technology of the day could not address.<\/p>\n<p>Climate change is thought to have resulted in <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/how-climate-change-caused-the-worlds-first-ever-empire-to-collapse-109060#:%7E:text=Changes%20in%20stalagmite%20chemistry%20from,series%20of%20independent%20city%20states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">the downfall<\/a> of the Akkadian Empire, sometimes called the world\u2019s first multi-national political entity. And even the crafty Gilgamesh couldn\u2019t <a href=\"https:\/\/qz.com\/1367185\/could-ai-allow-you-to-live-forever\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">escape his own mortality<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Humans have been grappling with how to invent, use and adapt to technology since our earliest civilisations. In Mesopotamian epic literature, new technology helps heroic individuals travel beyond accepted limitations and develop new skills. But the technology and resulting knowledge are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.technologyreview.com\/2022\/04\/19\/1049378\/ai-inequality-problem\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">not always evenly distributed<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Knowing how we adapted to changing technology in the past helps us more fully understand the human condition \u2013 and may even help us prepare for the future.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/199184\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class=\"js-lazy\"><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https:\/\/theconversation.com\/republishing-guidelines --><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/199184\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\" class><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/profiles\/louise-pryke-340935\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Louise Pryke<\/a>, Honorary Research Associate, <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/institutions\/university-of-sydney-841\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">University of Sydney<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>This article is republished from <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/chatgpt-is-confronting-but-humans-have-always-adapted-to-new-technology-ask-the-mesopotamians-who-invented-writing-199184\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">original article<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/what-the-mesopotamians-can-teach-us-about-chat-gpt-and-the-impact-of-new-tech\">Source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adapting to technological advances is a defining part of 21st-century life. But it\u2019s not unique to us: it\u2019s been part of the human story since our earliest written records \u2013 even featuring&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12625"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.londonchiropracter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}