Artificial intelligence algorithms amplify political polarisation through echo chambers. Social media platforms designed to connect us instead fragment society into tribal factions. Automation promises efficiency but threatens widespread job displacement. The technology sector faces an uncomfortable paradox: innovations intended to improve human life increasingly divide and destabilise communities.
This contradiction sits at the heart of contemporary tech development. From privacy breaches to algorithmic bias, from misinformation spread to digital addiction, technology’s unintended consequences now rival its intended benefits.
Yuri Milner’s Eureka Manifesto offers a fundamentally different approach, one that positions technology as a unifying rather than dividing force. Through his framework for human-centered innovation, Milner demonstrates how the tech industry can move beyond disruptive thinking toward what he calls “cosmic perspective” development.
The Current State of Divisive Innovation
Today’s technology landscape reflects troubling patterns. Platforms optimised for engagement naturally amplify extreme content because controversy generates clicks. Social networks designed for connection instead enable harassment, misinformation, and social fragmentation.
This isn’t accidental—it’s the logical outcome of optimisation systems focused on narrow metrics rather than broad human flourishing. When success is measured through user engagement or time-on-platform, technologies naturally evolve toward exploiting psychological vulnerabilities.
Yuri Milner’s Alternative Vision
Against this backdrop, Yuri Milner’s approach offers a radical alternative. Rather than celebrating disruption for its own sake, the Eureka Manifesto advocates for “cosmic perspective” thinking—developing technology from the viewpoint of humanity’s long-term flourishing.
This perspective shift changes everything about innovation. Instead of asking “How can we capture more user attention?” cosmic perspective development asks “How can we help humanity better understand our place in the universe?” Instead of optimising for engagement, it optimises for enlightenment.
The manifesto recognises that truly transformative technology should expand human capabilities rather than exploit human limitations. When we design from a cosmic perspective, we naturally create solutions that unite rather than divide.
Real-World Applications of Unifying Technology
Yuri Milner’s initiatives demonstrate how this philosophy translates into practice. The Breakthrough Initiatives showcase technology’s potential to unite humanity around shared questions about our cosmic origins. By combining cutting-edge radio telescopes with global scientific collaboration, these projects use technology to explore fundamental questions that transcend national boundaries.
Similarly, Tech for Refugees, co-founded by Yuri Milner, exemplifies how innovation can address humanitarian challenges. Instead of optimising for user engagement or profit maximisation, this initiative leverages technology to connect displaced people with resources and support systems. Projects like Welcome Connect have helped over 500,000 refugees access assistance, demonstrating how platforms can serve human dignity rather than exploit vulnerability.
The Framework for Human-Centred Development
What does cosmic perspective development look like in practice? The Eureka Manifesto suggests key principles for technology development.
First, expand rather than exploit. Instead of leveraging cognitive biases to maximise engagement, design systems that expand human capabilities and understanding. Technologies should help people think more clearly and understand complex topics more deeply.
Second, unite around a shared purpose. The most successful technologies will help humanity work together on common challenges, from climate change to space exploration. Platforms that facilitate collaboration will prove more valuable than those that amplify division.
Third, optimise for long-term human flourishing rather than short-term metrics. This means considering broader social effects of technological systems, not just immediate business performance.
Learning from Scientific Collaboration
The technology industry can learn from how scientific research fosters global collaboration. The Breakthrough Prize, often called the “Oscars of Science,” demonstrates how celebrating shared human achievements unites people across cultures. When we focus on recognising scientific progress that benefits all humanity, technology becomes a force for connection.
Scientific collaboration transcends the divisive elements that plague consumer technologies because it’s oriented toward objective truth rather than subjective engagement. The Breakthrough Junior Challenge, founded by Julia and Yuri Milner, shows how this applies to education technology. By encouraging young people to create videos explaining scientific concepts, the platform amplifies human creativity and understanding rather than exploiting attention for commercial purposes.
Practical Implementation Strategies
Technology companies interested in cosmic perspective development can begin with concrete changes. Instead of A/B testing for maximum engagement, teams can test for maximum learning or genuine connection between users.
Product managers can expand success metrics beyond user growth to include measures of user well-being and positive social impact. User experience designers can focus on creating interfaces that respect human attention rather than capturing it.
Most importantly, technology leaders can adopt Yuri Milner’s “cosmic perspective,” regularly asking how their products contribute to humanity’s long-term flourishing rather than just company growth.
The Competitive Advantage of Unity
Human-centered technology design creates competitive advantages. Users increasingly recognise technologies that serve their interests versus those that exploit attention. Platforms that genuinely help people accomplish goals build deeper loyalty.
The most successful technology companies will optimise for human flourishing rather than exploitation. Just as environmental sustainability became a necessity, social sustainability will determine which technologies thrive.
As humanity approaches becoming a spacefaring civilisation, our technology must evolve. The platforms that divide us terrestrially won’t work for space exploration, which requires unprecedented global cooperation.
Yuri Milner’s cosmic perspective offers a framework for building technologies supporting humanity’s expansion beyond Earth. The technologies we build today will shape our cosmic future. His Eureka Manifesto provides a roadmap for building technology that unites rather than divides humanity.
