Who’s the Better Author?
The Age of Globalization, as described by renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs, refers to the increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of the world’s economies, societies, and cultures in recent decades. Globalization has been driven by advances in transportation and communication technologies, which have enabled goods, services, information, and ideas to flow more freely across borders.
According to Sachs, the Age of Globalization has brought many benefits, such as increased economic growth, improved living standards, and greater cultural exchange. For example, the growth of global trade has allowed countries to specialize in what they do best, leading to increased efficiency and lower prices for consumers. The rise of the Internet and social media has made it easier for people to connect with one another, regardless of geographic boundaries, leading to greater cross-cultural understanding.
However, Sachs also acknowledges that globalization has brought challenges as well. For example, the movement of jobs from developed to developing countries has left some workers in the developed world without work and reduced their bargaining power. Additionally, the rise of multinational corporations has given them increasing power to shape the global economy, leading to concerns about the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a few.
Despite these challenges, Sachs believes that globalization is here to stay and that it offers us an unprecedented opportunity to address global problems such as poverty, climate change, and inequality. He argues that we must work together on a global scale if we are to tackle these problems effectively. For example, we need to build institutions that can coordinate action on a global level, such as the United Nations or the World Trade Organization.
In conclusion, the Age of Globalization is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that is transforming the world in profound ways. While it presents both opportunities and challenges, Sachs believes that with the right policies and institutions, we can harness the power of globalization to build a better, more sustainable future for all.[1]
Driving the kids to school this morning, I was fascinated by the timeliness of a news podcast titled “ChatGPT Plagues Educators.” This new artificial intelligence “can answer test questions, write essays, and figure out math problems in seconds.”[2] In Sachs’ book, The Age of Globalization, he states that we are currently in the seventh age of globalization, the Digital Age, which is marked by connectivity, computation, and artificial intelligence.[3] I had heard about ChatGPT recently, but my kids and I were blown away by the challenges such AI could pose for the education system. Peaked by curiosity, I decided to give it a go with this essay. I created a log-in and typed, “Write a Doctoral Blog on ‘The Age of Globalization’ by Jeffrey Sachs.” I have to say, it was an excellent synopsis of the book, and done in a matter of seconds! Had I not cited it, I am guessing there would have been little question that I wrote the essay. How incredibly amazing and terrifying is that?! I believe this experiment speaks to the opportunities, and challenges, we have as we lean into the Digital Age. How will this impact the education system, writing, and even the arts?
In the opening chapter of his book, Sachs considers five important questions to evaluate the historical development and its impact on society:
First, what have been the main drivers of global-scale change? Second, how do geography, technology, and institutions interact? Third, how do changes in one region diffuse to others? Fourth, how have these changes affected global interdependence? Fifth, what lessons can we glean from each age to help us meet our challenges today?[4]
I found The Ages of Globalization a fascinating read on many fronts. I will briefly highlight a few points to consider:
- I greatly valued his breakdown of the seven “ages” of time. While I might disagree with his dating of our world, I found this very interesting from a historical perspective, especially in better understanding the movement of our world since the beginning of time. We are certainly experiencing heightened interconnectedness more today than even a decade ago.
- I love horses, so I was especially intrigued by the influence horses had on the globalization of the world. It made me think about the reference to horses as strength and majesty in Scripture. Why could the horse be domesticated, whereas the grizzly bear or lion has not?
- Our world is becoming increasingly more urban. This has been of interest to me for years as my ministry has focused on “urban” community development efforts in the States and worldwide. The author believes that with the increased urbanization, there has also been a decrease in the number of children people are giving birth to. However, Sachs is still concerned that the worldwide population will outpace our ability to sustain as a society for basic resources.
- Finally, as the dominance of the US diminishes (much like it did for Great Britain and Rome), China very well may be the next superpower. Data demonstrates that China is now the largest economy in the world and has surpassed the US.[6] Rather than operate in a spirit of trepidation, Sachs compels readers to consider how we may collaborate with upcoming superpowers on a global scale to invent more effective ways to work toward a common good such that world hunger, famine, and wars are on the decline, if not diminished entirely. Of course, I don’t believe this to be even remotely likely on this side of heaven, though I appreciate his optimism!
[1] “Write a Doctoral Blog on ‘The Age of Globalization’ by Jeffrey Sachs,” accessed January 31, 2023, https://chat.openai.com.
[2] “ChatGPT Plagues Educators,” WORLD, accessed January 31, 2023, https://wng.org/podcasts/chatgpt-plagues-educators-1675135146.
[3] Jeffrey Sachs, The Ages of Globalization: Geography, Technology, and Institutions (New York: Columbia University Press, 2020), 6.
[4] Ibid., 2.
[5] Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser, “Urbanization,” Our World in Data (June 13, 2018), accessed January 30, 2023, https://ourworldindata.org/urbanization.
[6] Sachs, The Ages of Globalization, tbl. 8.7.
9 responses to “Who’s the Better Author?”
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Eric, Your blog post is very comprehensive and a good summary of The Ages of Globalization. That is very ingenuous of you to try ChatGPT and make the disclosure to keep us informed and up to date with new AI advancements. I had heard and read about it, but I now appreciate the great potential of technology but whose unprecedented speed of development is simply too disruptive and almost impossible to keep up with. Can educational institutions and their regulating bodies counter the potential disruption AI will likely have on education and ensure continued public confidence in our education system, especially with the likely increase in cheating?
My son told me someone created another program that can determine if IA was used in writing, etc. Not sure if it is true, but my guess is that there will have to be other advances to protect against the abuse of AI.
As someone working in higher ed, I can tell you both that we are already very much having to navigate how to counteract this new technology. We have had several faculty try it in their various disciplines and so far it has been spot on.
Eric,
You caught onto the diminishing influence of America too. Instead of embracing this idea with fear, how might American leaders look at this as an opportunity.
Well, for one, it ‘aint God bless America! My quick take as Christian leaders: focus on the Kingdom for that is the only that that really matters and transcends all “ages and times.”
Eric: ChatGPT and AI in general is a game changer, every bit as much as the telephone and computer. If students use it, is real, transformational learning taking place? This book was a great overview of 70,000 years of human history. (p.s. the chatgpt got the title wrong though: it is “The AGES of… plural not The AGE of…).
AI is interesting. I will be curious to see what it does to our education system. I am guessing we will become less intelligent as a race!
Eric, great interactions with the big ideas from the book and your life with kids. Last night, someone at our small group said that ChatGPT is rapidly costing a lot of creative people their jobs because it produces large amounts of material in seconds. What would you predict to be AI’s biggest change for the church?
Your guess is as good as mine! Maybe pastors won’t need to write sermons anymore:) You should give it a go!! Hehe.