Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative force in our society, with the most recent applications ranging from a #generativeai song created using the voices of music artists Drake and The Weekend, to a #generativeai political video depicting impending doom if 2024 Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden were to be elected president. In real time, technology thought leaders are racing to understand the impact AI can have on our world as we now know it, and our world to come. This essay will examine the impact of AI through the lens of technological determinism, critique both the positive and negative implications of AI, and explore the human-thing entanglement we have with this explosively influential technology.
Technological determinism asserts that technology is the primary driving force behind societal change. Although I do agree that programmed technology is imbued with human bias; the technological determinist perspective posits that technological developments have an autonomous and inevitable influence on society, shaping its structures and values. Technological determinists claim that technology follows its own trajectory, independent of social factors, and that society must adapt to these changes. According to this view, technology has the power to shape and transform various aspects of society, economically, culturally and socially.
In Ian Hodder's theory of human-thing entanglement, Hodder proposes that humans and technologies are deeply intertwined in mutually constitutive relationships. Much like the view of technological determinism, according to his perspective, technologies are not external objects or tools that humans merely use, but are actively involved in shaping human behavior, culture, and social structures. Hodder's framework recognizes the agency and influence of technologies in shaping human experiences as well as technologies influence in shaping the human experience; and emphasizes the interdependence and co-constitution of humans and technologies, shedding light on the complex relationship between AI and human agency.
AI's capacity to process vast amounts of data, make complex decisions, and learn autonomously challenges conventional understandings of human capabilities. As AI continues to evolve, it has the potential to catalyze profound shifts in industries, economies, and even redefine our understanding of human agency. Dr. Geoffrey Hinton, the “godfather of AI” recently left his position at technology giant Google, after recognizing the existential threat that AI can have to our world in a short amount of time. “I’ve come to the conclusion that the kind of intelligence we’re developing is very different from the intelligence we have,” said Hinton. “So it’s as if you had 10,000 people and whenever one person learned something, everybody automatically knew it. And that’s how these chatbots can know so much more than any one person” (The Guardian, 2023).
That type of “technopathy” between AI systems holds immense promise in transforming multiple sectors, enhancing efficiency, and improving human quality of life. In the field of healthcare, for example, AI-powered systems can analyze medical data, potentially accurately diagnose disease and create personalized treatment plans for doctors and patients; or in education, AI-based tools can identify learning style gaps, personalize learning experiences, adapt plans for individual needs and improve educational outcomes.
Economically, AI has the potential to revolutionize industries, automate routine tasks, and boost productivity, but alternatively it can also lead to the unintended effects of human job displacement and the significant socio-economic consequences of increased unemployment - like increased rates of crime and substance abuse. In less than a week after Open AI was made available, IBM disclosed that the company was poised to layoff close to 8000 workers due to redundancies; and if AI can sound like Drake, it may not be long before cybercriminals can use AI enhanced audio to procure the sensitive financial information of victims of identify fraud.
We must further reflect on the social and ethical implications of AI. As AI systems become more sophisticated, concerns about privacy, data security, algorithmic bias, and the erosion of human agency arise. The decisions made by AI algorithms could impact areas such as criminal justice, finance, and public policy, and balancing the power of AI with human oversight and accountability is crucial to preserve individual autonomy and ensure that human values guide the use of this technology. Since AI is only as unbiased as the data they are trained on (to date), without careful consideration, AI can dangerously perpetuate existing biases and discrimination, and deeply influence decision-making processes as it relates to human autonomy and agency.
In the example in which Hodder describes how human-thing dependencies lead to entrapment in the domestication of cereals, therein lies a parallel in the reciprocal human experience with AI. As humans and wheats became co-entangled, the reproduction of wheat came to depend on humans planting, weeding, and harvesting its seeds – until a time in which, the wheats entangled and domesticated people, using humans for their own reaping and propagation. And so, much like AI has come to depend on humans programming, transmitting, and disseminating its messages, we again find ourselves in the throes of domestication, this time by AI – as it in turn uses humans for its reaping and propagation.
In closing, viewing AI through the lens of technological determinism elucidates the extensive implications of this transformative technology. AI has the potential to reshape industries, economies, and social structures. Its applications in healthcare, education, and other sectors offer significant promise in improving efficiency and enhancing human lives. But as Hodder reminds us, we must recognize the transformative and reciprocal effects of AI on human behavior, preferences, choices and even perceptions of reality. Transparency, accountability, and fairness should guide the design and implementation of AI systems to ensure equitable outcomes for all; and as AI influences decision-making processes, it becomes essential to strike a balance between the power of AI and human oversight. There must be ongoing dialogue, critical reflection, and inclusive decision-making to navigate the opportunities and challenges presented by AI in a way that serves the broader interests of society as we work toward responsible AI development, to ensure that AI technologies are harnessed for the betterment of humanity and do not serve to erode human autonomy and agency.