What makes us human

Q&A: Yuval Noah Harari

'I see the world has many good things'

Are you pessimistic about our future?

I'm not a pessimist and I'm trying to be realistic about the condition of the world and what we're to face. Pessimists try to find something wrong with every human invention and development. I'm not.

I see the world has many good things. This is the first time in history that humankind has managed to overcome famine.

To date, this is the first government in Chinese history to solve the biggest problem of famine, which is a wonderful development. We also see a substantial reduction in violence. Previously 10 percent of mortality was caused by human violence; today it is less than 1 percent.

But there are also problematic developments, like climate change and new technology that may get out of control, like Artificial Intelligence.

Within 30-40 years, most humans will have no job, being taken over by AI. The biggest question in politics and economics in 21st century is what to do with all those masses of "useless" people.

I'm afraid there is not enough attention given to these issues by government and the public. Governments are very busy with traditional problems. And it's the duty of historians and philosophers to understand present-day technology, think about them in broader terms, and warn people of their risks.

What do you see about the future of China?

The future of China is also the future of the world. The future of the world is also the future of China.

Today, in the world, there are no independent countries. China has no separate future from the other countries - it's all combined.

The major problems of humankind in the 21st century will all be global in nature.

Another positive development in China is that it's thinking in global terms instead of local terms.

You're living with your same-sex partner?

Oh, he's staying next door (in the Beijing hotel). He is my agent and accompanied me here.

Looking back, if something exists, it means it's part of nature. Not all things existing are good. If we're to judge, the question is not whether something is natural, but its impact on happiness and misery of living beings. It's not homosexuality that caused miseries. It's prosecution of it that caused it.