ChatGPT is confronting, but humans have always adapted to new technology

Melbourne: Adapting to technological advances is a defining part of 21st-century life. In some ways, the representation of new technologies in cuneiform literature echoes contemporary concerns about AI: fears of increasing social inequalities and its potential use in cyberwarfare. This will require new considerations around familiar issues – such as how to represent the past accurately in light of possibly biased evidence, and the need to critically evaluate sources of information. In Mesopotamian epic literature, new technology helps heroic individuals travel beyond accepted limitations and develop new skills. Knowing how we adapted to changing technology in the past helps us more fully understand the human condition – and may even help us prepare for the future.