No god in the machine
No god in the machine
The pitfalls of AI worship
Some believe that AI could pose an existential threat. Navneet Alang says, “the real threat comes from falling for the hype.”
Among the many areas of hype, Alang explores how AI has called into question notions like objectivity or ultimate meaning. He connects generative AI to philosophical theories on meaning, language, and narrative structure.
Alang cautions against an overreliance on AI. AI cannot solve complex social, political, and moral challenges, Alang says. Progress on these issues requires human agency and decision-making. Thus, we need to consider the ethical and social implications of deploying AI systems.
AI’s understanding of reality and its ability to represent reality is limited. Alang concludes,
Artificial intelligence may keep growing in scope, power and capability, but the assumptions underlying our faith in it – that, so to speak, it might bring us closer to God – may only lead us further away.