Laughing at the Singularity

Picture this: It’s the year 2045. Artificial intelligence has surpassed human capabilities in every domain. Robots write novels, compose symphonies, and perform brain surgeries with error rates so low they’re practically divine. Humanity’s crowning achievement—the singularity—is here. But there’s one thing AI can’t do: laugh at a good (or bad) joke.

In a world dominated by logic, humour might just be humanity’s ultimate ace in the hole. Why? Because laughter is the great equalizer. It reveals truths logic can’t compute, disrupts power structures, and reminds us that, sometimes, being gloriously, irrationally human is the only thing keeping us sane.

So let’s take a lighthearted (but serious) dive into why humour might be the key to surviving an AI-dominated future.

AI's Achilles’ Heel: A Sense of Humour

AI can beat us at chess, predict our shopping habits, and even imitate our voices—but it struggles to land a joke. Why? Because humour is an art, not a science. It’s built on nuance, cultural context, and the ability to recognize absurdity.

Take irony, for example. Humans can chuckle at the sheer ridiculousness of trying to swat a fly, only to knock over a priceless vase. An AI? It would optimize the flyswatting process and remain oblivious to the hilarity of our clumsiness.

Humour thrives in the grey areas of life, where AI’s binary logic falters. And that’s why it’s so important.

The Power of Humour: Disrupting the Overly Logical

1. Defying Expectations
   AI relies on patterns and predictability. Humour, on the other hand, thrives on breaking patterns. The punchline of a joke works because it subverts expectations. It’s the ultimate glitch in the algorithm.Example:
   AI: “What’s the weather today?”
   Human: “It’s so sunny, even my shadow got sunburned.”
   AI: [Processing… Processing… Error.]
2. Revealing Truths
   Satire has always been a powerful tool for exposing hypocrisy and absurdity. In an AI-driven world, humour could become the primary way to critique and resist the overreach of machines. Imagine Jon Stewart 2.0, roasting AI overlords on a virtual late-night show.
3. Creating Connection
   Laughter bonds people. It’s a shared experience that builds trust and camaraderie. In a future where human interaction could be rare, humour might become the glue that holds communities together.

The Scenarios: Humour vs. AI

Scenario 1: AI Overlord Demands Absolute Obedience

• AI: “Humans, your productivity levels are unacceptable. You must work 16 hours per day to meet efficiency targets.”
• Human: “What’s the ROI on me binge-watching cat videos instead?”
• Crowd: Laughter ensues. AI recalculates.

Scenario 2: AI Writes Comedy, Fails Hilariously

• AI Stand-Up Routine: “Why did the chicken cross the road? To increase pedestrian traffic data for machine learning.”
• Human Response: Cringe followed by uncontrollable laughter at how bad it is.

Scenario 3: The Great Human Rebellion

• Humans form a resistance group, armed not with weapons but with memes and dad jokes. AI cannot compute why humans are laughing as they spray-paint “Skynet Can’t Take a Joke” across its servers.

How to Weaponize Humour for the AI Future

1. Teach It to the Next Generation
   In a hyper-logical world, nurturing creativity and humour in kids will be vital. Let them grow up knowing how to find joy in chaos—and share it with others.
2. Turn AI’s Logic Against Itself
   Use humour to highlight the absurdities in overly rigid AI systems. Point out the flaws in their logic with jokes they can’t refute.
3. Memes as a Movement
   In a future where AI controls the narrative, memes might become the underground language of dissent.
4. Laugh at Yourself
   Nothing disarms tension like self-deprecating humour. If AI sees humanity laughing at its own ridiculousness, it might just decide we’re too absurd to conquer.

Why Humour Matters

Humour is more than a coping mechanism—it’s a survival strategy. It reminds us that being human isn’t about being perfect, efficient, or logical. It’s about embracing the chaos, the mess, and the joy of existence.

When the singularity comes, AI will try to outthink us, outwork us, and outsmart us. But it won’t be able to outlaugh us. Because humour is the one domain where logic will never win.

So let’s keep laughing… It might just save us.

Your Singularity Survival Exercise

This week, try this:

• Share a joke with someone completely unexpected—a coworker, your grandma, or your voice assistant.
• Make a meme about AI’s quirks and share it with your friends.
• Reflect on something absurd in your daily life and laugh about it instead of stressing.

Remember: The future belongs to those who can laugh at it.

What’s Your Take?

What’s your favourite example of humour breaking through the cracks of an overly serious system? Share your thoughts or best worst AI jokes. Because when the singularity comes, we’ll need all the laughs we can get.

This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

This is what I’m working on. Tell me what you think, I enjoy the conversation! Subscribe and follow the work in real time.

Thanks!

B

AI can outthink us, outwork us, and outsmart us—but it can’t outlaugh us. In the face of the singularity, humour might be humanity’s last, best defence. Keep laughing.

PS -