Design as Thought: Philosophy in Times of Artificial Intelligence

I can explore Aristotle, Kant, and Wittgenstein in dialogue with AI. We learn far more through dialogue than we do by monologue. The same goes for simulated dialogue. AI allows us to learn foreign languages in dialogue, which used to be the privilege of a very small minority. AI for learning in dialogue, simulation of thinking and stimulation of thought—I appreciate all these things. But the danger with AI is that it allows us to perform actions that previously required thought. AI makes actions that require human involvement easy for us; actions such as hiring and firing people, driving cars, and writing books shouldn’t happen without mental effort and emotional involvement.

There are substances that are more or less toxic in and of themselves. Strontium, nicotine, and heroin are toxic even in small quantities. With alcohol, THC, and caffeine, it’s a question of quantity and predisposition. There are comparable dangers in the digital world. Certain technologies are destructive by design. With other technologies it depends on exposure and use and predisposition. For me, Super Mario is a sugary treat. Even now, when I’m starting a new Super Mario adventure, I have to be careful I don’t overdose and have a sugar crash. Fortnite is heroin. I can’t stop playing it and it just keeps pulling me in. Instagram is nicotine. TikTok is beer. Threads is boxed wine. Mastodon is THC. Twitter is strontium. There are good things about AI. At the moment it’s being used like opium—to alleviate the pain of thinking.