Humanities in the Age of Artificial Intelligence with Ana Ilievska
Apr 12, 2023
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Ana Ilievska, a Mellon Fellow at Stanford Humanities Center, discusses the relationship between literature, the industrial revolution, and technology. They explore the nature of thinking, the importance of reading and solitude, the role of generative AI, the threat of AI on white collar jobs, consciousness, and embracing mystery.
Artificial intelligence has the potential to promote thoughtful solitude and meaningful internal dialogue.
The humanities play a vital role in critical thinking, interpretation, and analysis, which current AI struggles to replicate.
Deep dives
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Promoting Thoughtful Solitude
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to promote thoughtful solitude, a space where individuals can engage in meaningful internal dialogue. Thinking, defined as a cognitive ability, takes place within the embodied mind and involves decision-making, planning, and moral considerations. Solitude, a retreat from the world, is crucial for thinking to occur. However, the overwhelming stimulation of our cognitive apparatus, cluttered minds, and constant influx of information pose challenges to thinking and solitude. The arrival of generative AI, such as Chad GPT, provides new possibilities but also raises concerns. It may rewrite civilization and change education. It can generate text and organize ideas, but it lacks human consciousness, creativity, and experience. The humanities play a vital role in critical thinking, interpretation, and analysis. They involve empathy, understanding culture, and historical context, which current AI struggles to replicate. The challenge lies in finding a balance between embracing AI as a tool and preserving humanistic thinking and meaningful engagement.
Thinking as an Innate and Private Dialogue
Thinking is an innate cognitive ability specific to language use, taking place within the embodied mind. It involves robust internal dialogue, decision-making, planning, and moral considerations. A split within the self allows for this private dialogue to occur, requiring a retreat from the world. Thinking involves encountering our best friend or worst enemy within our own minds. Logistical and psychological difficulties may arise in managing this internal dialogue and maintaining solitude. The question of where and how to find solitude, both logistically and psychologically, becomes crucial. Although thinking is subversive and susceptible to manipulation and ideology, it remains a vital ability for human beings, allowing for judgment, skepticism, and exploration of unknown realms within ourselves.
The Cluttered Mind and the Challenge of Reading
The modern era, marked by overstimulation and an overwhelming amount of information, results in cluttered minds. The proliferation of choices, products, and constant bombardment of messages pose challenges to decision-making, critical thinking, and solitude. This clutter restricts the capacity for deep reading, reflection, and meaningful engagement with texts. To address this challenge, emphasis on decluttering the mind and creating physical spaces for reading, dialogue, and unmediated human interactions becomes important. The academic environment, particularly the university, can play a significant role in fostering critical thinking, judgment, and the practice of open dialogue. The need for moral and ethical guidance, promotion of pertinent information, and recognition of the differences between knowledge, information, and thinking are essential for navigating the cluttered mind and promoting intellectual growth.
Generative AI and the Future of Education
Generative artificial intelligence (AI), exemplified by Chad GPT, holds potential to reshape education and poses challenges to traditional teaching practices. White-collar workers, including educators, writers, journalists, and coders, may find their roles impacted as AI technology advances. While AI can assist with text generation and organization, it lacks human consciousness, creativity, and experience. The question of how to navigate this changing landscape of AI and education arises. Universities must incorporate AI as a tool to enhance student learning while preserving the core elements of humanistic education. This entails promoting critical thinking, diverse perspectives, lively discussions, and the ability to discern pertinent information in an information-saturated world. Finding a balance between the capabilities of AI and the unique strengths of human thought and engagement is essential for the future of education.
Ana is a Mellon Fellow at the Stanford Humanities Center and a Lecturer of French and Italian at Stanford. Her teaching and research focus on the relationship between literature, the industrial revolution, and technology from a Southern perspective.
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