The successors to these castes or classes still exist today and they still claim special insight and understanding, even surpassing that provided by scientific inquiry.

They claim knowledge of supernatural powers that, according to their dogma, created the universe and control our individual and collective destinies.

Bizarre though this is, many people believe them.

Now, a new and similar class of people is emerging who claim to understand the mysterious world of information technology and artificial intelligence and how they can be used to enrich our lives.

They urge us to embrace this technology because it is not only wonderful but also benign and harmless.

It is true that these technologies have enriched our lives in some important respects, in particular the ability to communicate with one another more readily.

The ability to communicate has been massively increased, collapsing the 'tyranny of distance' that has had such a powerful influence over how our world has developed down the centuries.

Unhappily, the same technology has more sinister effects, such as those described by Phil Fitzpatrick in ‘Devices of benefit become means of control’.

And this is especially the case where the technology has enhanced the ability of the ignorant, the stupid or those bent upon doing evil to propagate ideas that are wrong and destructive to humanity.

Right now, we are collectively doing very badly at dealing with these disturbing effects because of the emergence of a new class of godlings such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos or Mark Zuckerberg.

And there are many lesser godlings who do not wish to see constraints imposed upon communication that is not in the public interest, constraints they claim impede ‘free speech’ but which is in effect manipulation, sedition or, to be more colourful, dirty dealing.

In essence, the godling business model relies on unfettered communication with consumers (us) from whom they derive their immense wealth and privilege.

It is true to say that this new class of ‘masters of the universe’ has aggregated unto itself so much power and influence that it can even bend governments to its will.

History indicates that this is a very dangerous development for ordinary folk and even for entire societies.

History’s lessons are plain enough. No good ever came from the creation of a class of super rich individuals who exert effective control of a significant part of the economy or the state.

In our brave new world, however, this scheming and self-aggrandising behaviour is too often ignored, dismissed, not clearly seen or not properly understood.

Ignoring or failing to understand the lessons of history is always dangerous.

I would never assert that history can be used to predict the future, but it does provide guidance about human nature and about how clever technologies in the wrong hands are inevitably perilous.

The women and men who lead us ought to bear this in mind as they grapple with the consequences of technologies they often barely understand.

If our leaders continue to ineffectually regulate billionaires who use smart technology to swing the odds in their own favour, they are playing with socio-technical dynamite.

They should not be surprised if there comes an unexpected and catastrophic explosion.

In Light Of Such Wisdom, I Am Found Wanting

Michael Dom

There was a battered old kerosene lamp
of which my bubu had inordinate pride
He kept it lit at his bedside mat
besides the firelight at night
I’d always wondered why he’d bothered
to keep that relic of times long past
He’d always wondered why I’d ask
for his purpose seemed sure enough
And although my MagLite made him gasp
he said, “Such things will come to pass”.

Awash in fire and lamplight both
we’d sit together of a night
ruminating each on the other’s plight
Mine modern –carefree, careless curiosities
His ancient –careworn, careful custodianship

On those brightly lit city streets
of which I had inordinate pride
Electric bulbs burn overhead
besides the television light at night
Too tired to ponder, why even bother
to regard such technological badges
Those wondrous gizmo’s and cool gadgets
for my purpose seemed sure enough
And although my modernity makes me laugh
he said, “Such things will come to pass”.

Awash in streetlamps and headlight beams both
there are no quiet sitting places
Every rambling soul has a lonely plight
In a brightly lit city with its haunted inhabitants
or a village hut darkened by my bubu’s ghost

Written by Michael Dom on 1 July 2011 and dedicated to poet Russell Soaba’s website, Soaba’s Story Board and first published in The National newspapers’ Writer’s Forum on 8 July 2011