AI as a New Tribe: Professor Alan Macfarlane on what makes us human

South China Morning Post - Oct 30, 2026

What might an anthropologist make of artificial intelligence if he approached it as an unfamiliar tribe? That question framed an SCMP Plus fireside chat with Professor Alan Macfarlane at The Center in Central, Hong Kong, on October 26. Speaking with SCMP senior AI technology reporter Vincent Chow, Macfarlane explored how AI changes knowledge creation and sharing, and what distinguishes its capabilities from human experience. An emeritus professor of anthropological science at the University of...

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