Author Michael Pollan Warns of 'Siege' on Consciousness
Author Michael Pollan, discussing his new book *A World Appears*, warned that human consciousness is "under siege" from corporations. He cited the monetization of attention through social media algorithms and AI systems that manipulate human emotion. Pollan defines consciousness as subjective experience, the central mystery of which is how it arises from physical matter like brain tissue.
- The book, *A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness*, was released on February 24, 2026, and expands on themes from Pollan's previous works like *How to Change Your Mind* by exploring consciousness through scientific, psychedelic, and even "plant neurobiologist" perspectives. - The concept of an "attention economy" was first described by economist and psychologist Herbert A. Simon in 1971, who argued that a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention, making human attention a scarce and valuable commodity. - The business model of monetizing consumer attention through advertising generated $853 billion in global net revenue in 2023, yet some economic analyses suggest the negative externalities—such as reduced productivity and impacts on mental health—could lower long-term GDP by 2 to 3 percentage points. - Some analysts predict that AI is causing a shift from the "attention economy" to an "intent economy," where growth is based not on capturing eyeballs but on systems that predict and act on consumer needs in a given moment, potentially breaking the linear "spend more, get more reach" model. - San Francisco is the epicenter of this shift, with the Bay Area attracting approximately 75% of U.S. venture capital funding for AI since 2019, sparking an economic boost while raising concerns about another tech boom-and-bust cycle. - Pollan's critique extends beyond digital life, questioning the moral implications of how governments and corporations treat arguably sentient ecosystems, an idea that grew from his interviews with scientists studying consciousness in plants.
