The word deep has become so popular these days that it seems shallow.
Google launched DeepMInd, its artificial intelligence company. And just when the American AI companies thought they might dominate the world, the Chinese unleashed their own artificial intelligence regurgitation machine: DeepSeek.
Artificial intelligence companies are part of a broader business category known as “deep tech.” A company with this classification focuses on artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing, or blockchain. By contrast, “shallow tech” firms merely serve “end users,” which is the deep tech term for “human beings.”
Then there’s “deep learning.” According to IBM, deep learning “is a subset of machine learning that uses multilayered neural networks, called deep neural networks, to simulate the complex decision-making power of the human brain.” Looking at the state of politics these days, we’re not sure why computer scientists would want to “simulate” the “decision-making power” of human brains, but whatever! The important thing to know is that computer scientists all agree that deep learning is different than “traditional” machine learning. The official term for the traditional approach is “nondeep”—a term obviously coined by a highly creative marketing team.
The music industry has also popularized the word deep, using it to brand an entire genre of electronic dance music. “Deep music” is apparently more “complex, intense, obscure, and abstract” than other types of dance music—such as Polka. In case you didn’t know, there are many subgenres of deep music: deep disco, deep dub, deep garage, deep techno, to mention a few.
Deep music apparently has tremendous power over humans (the end users of music). An article in the Evening Standard (January 30, 2020) announced that, “More than three thousand partygoers will pile into the three rooms, exploring tech house, melodic house, and deep disco. Throw in some bonkers production and a giant snake and you've got one pumping car park.”
A party like that could lead to deep trouble.
Why is everyone using the word deep? To answer that question, we need more philosophy. Perhaps we are witnessing a fluid cultural expression of postmodernism. According to Lee McIntyre, author of Post-Truth (MIT Press, 2018), postmodern people prefer alternative facts, which allow them to spin self-promoting, power-grabbing narratives, even if those narratives lack evidence.
So, in the context of corporate branding, maybe tech entrepreneurs prefer words that leave the meaning of company names open to interpretation. Consider these real tech company names: Glaia, FeedZai, Nonius, Patsnap, Oxbotica, ZestyAI, Tinybird, and Cogknit. Or consider the social media company X. What does X mean? Whatever you want! We could be wrong, but maybe deep as a branding word is popular because it can have so many connotations. Let the “end users” find their own meaning in the brand.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, deep has been used for centuries to describe realms of unknown evil or danger. The ancients were terrified of deep forests where witches or hermits lived, or where evil spirits lurked. In the deep forest, a person might experience a horrible sense of lostness and isolation. This connotation fits with the angst most people feel about artificial intelligence. We wonder what DeepSeek and DeepMind will do to us, not to mention DOGE. So many unknown existential threats loom in the deep algorithmic forest!
Deep can also have spiritual overtones, both positive and negative. On the downside, Dante, in his classic but theologically spurious work Inferno, referred to hell as being in the cosmic depths. Dante’s message was clear: Whatever you do, don’t look down. But the word deep also has a long history of positive spiritual connotations. For example, we might admire someone who has a deep spiritual life (i.e. sincere, intellectual, thoughtful, etc.).
This positive notion of deep is also conveyed as a cultural or intellectual quality. In his book The Shallows, Nicholas Carr argues that the internet is making us dumb. New media technology, he says, pushes us to surf across an ocean of knowledge without learning much about anything. Meanwhile, the internet’s ease of use creates the illusion that we are well-informed about everything. Johann Hari makes the same point in his book titled Stolen Focus: Why You Can’t Pay Attention and How to Think Deeply Again. In both cases, these authors endow the word deep with a positive connotation, and they give a negative connotation to the word shallow. Who wants to be a shallow person or a shallow thinker?
That leads us to a deep question. Will the rise of deep tech help us think deeply? What will happen to our minds if DeepMind does all the thinking for us? Take a deep breath and give that question some deep thought. Or you can consult DeepMind. Or you can watch TV.
Quote to Ponder
“To think and be fully alive are the same.” — Hannah Arendt