Author and historian Yuval Noah Harari discusses the foundational importance of storytelling in human society, the dangers of AI in shaping narratives, why the Ukraine war is the most important geopolitical conflict today, and the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian situation, emphasizing the potential of stories to both divide and unite.
In a wide-ranging conversation with Ian Bremmer, filmed live at the historic 92nd Street Y in NYC, bestselling author Yuval Noah Harari delves into the foundational role of storytelling in human civilization, the existential challenges posed by artificial intelligence, the geopolitical implications of the Ukraine war, and the most pressing questions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Harari argues that unlike other species, humans have thrived on their unique ability to construct and believe in shared stories, which has underpinned the formation of societies, governments, and laws. However, this same capability has led to wars, inequality, and exploitation. “Humans don’t fight over territory and food,” Harari tells Bremmer. They fight over imaginary stories in their minds.»
Harari and Ian discuss the current global crises, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as moments where humanity’s collaborative superpower appears to falter. On the Ukraine war, he says that the implications of a Russian victory would spell the end of the global order as we know it. «We could already be in the midst of World War III that started on the 24th of February 2022 with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and we just don’t know it yet.»