Anglo-American University in Prague Dean of SIRD Reflects on Technology, AI, and Social Reality in Seznam Zprávy
AAU Dean of the School of International Relations and Diplomacy George Hays II was recently featured in Seznam Zprávy, where he explored how technological change, digital media, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the way people experience social reality. In The Danger of Becoming Castaways, Hays argues that the rapid evolution of media has contributed to growing social fragmentation by weakening the shared experiences that once helped shape a common understanding of reality.
According to Hays, the shift from print and broadcast media to social media and generative AI has accelerated the creation of increasingly individualized “social realities,” making it more difficult for people to engage with one another through a shared understanding of facts and experiences.
“We cannot relate to each other if we exist in different worlds,” says Hays. “We cannot solve objectively shared problems if we lose objectivity and a recognition of what counts as a problem.“
Despite these challenges, Hays emphasizes that the future is not predetermined. Because social reality is continually created and re-created, he argues that individuals can help strengthen communities by building genuine relationships and engaging with people beyond algorithm-driven online spaces.
“We can reclaim our agency and actual community through purposeful action. Cultivate social relations in physical reality… Break the grip of the algorithm that is obfuscating reality by seeking connection and information beyond the screen.“
Drawing on history, philosophy, and contemporary society, Hays ultimately encourages readers to reconnect through real-world dialogue and community rather than retreat into increasingly personalized digital echo chambers.
Read the full commentary in Czech here.