Authority Quote by Yuval Noah Harari
“Just as divine authority was legitimised by religious mythologies and human authority was legitimised by humanist ideologies, so high-tech gurus and Silicon Valley prophets are creating a new universal narrative that legitimises the authority of algorithms and Big Data.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Homo Deus, 2015
The passage warns that modern technologists are building a new belief system that grants authority to algorithms and data, similar to past religious or ideological legitimations.
In simple terms: Tech leaders are becoming modern prophets.
Key Takeaway
Question the authority of data‑driven narratives.
Themes
technology
authority
mythmaking
society
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- policy making
- corporate strategy
- public discourse
Key Concepts
algorithmic governance
big data ideology
Questions to Reflect On
- What narratives do we accept without scrutiny?
- How can we hold algorithmic authority accountable?
A Different Perspective
Algorithms can be biased and opaque, undermining trust.
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