Essay on Intelligent Ignorance

Rui Ribeiro

We are exposed to a digital universe where diversity of thought is replaced by the homogeneity of the algorithm. The result is perverse: we believe we control information, when in reality it is information that controls us.

George Orwell wrote that “ignorance is strength”. Perhaps that phrase has never been more relevant. We live in an age where an abundance of information doesn’t make us more aware, only more comfortably conditioned. We have access to everything, yet we understand less and less. What is most concerning is that this new model of “intelligent ignorance” comes wrapped in technology, algorithms and AI — tools that promise to set us free, but which subtly train us to think less.

The ability to think critically, to discuss ideas with those who think differently, and to learn from disagreement is becoming increasingly rare. Today, a simple conversation among friends about politics, religion, economics or science quickly turns into a digital battlefield. We no longer debate to understand — we debate to win — and it’s common to witness conversations where people are essentially saying the same thing, but since no one listens anymore, everyone ends up shouting from their corner. People no longer know how to argue! And those who dare to disagree are pushed out of the group in a social process that is as effective as it is invisible. Approval has replaced reflection.