One of the most common misunderstandings in dealing with the world is the notion that you can do it piece-meal, that in understanding and shaping one part you can safely ignore the rest. One of the oldest wisdoms is the insight that in reality everything is knitted together, that to meddle with one part is always to meddle with the whole. AI as a social phenomenon is a good example for both findings. In trying to understand this new event in (...) the light of old counsel we get a better understanding not only of AI but of our society as well. (shrink)