Matteo Pasquinelli, an Associate Professor in Philosophy of Science at Ca’ Foscari University, and author of "The Eye of the Master," dives into the intricate relationship between AI and societal structures. He challenges the notion that AI mimics human intelligence, arguing instead it reflects broader social dynamics. The discussion touches on the historical roots of algorithms, their political implications, and the impact of biases within AI systems. Pasquinelli also critiques the reductionist views on automation, emphasizing the dual role of AI in shaping labor and society.
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insights INSIGHT
Algorithms in History
AI algorithms are not a new concept, but part of a longer history of social processes and algorithms.
Pasquinelli uses the Vedic fire altar ritual as an example of an ancient "social algorithm".
insights INSIGHT
The Economic Logic of Algorithms
Algorithms are not natural phenomena; they follow an economic logic.
Their core function is to enhance efficiency by minimizing resource consumption, linking them to societal dynamics.
insights INSIGHT
Adaptive Algorithms and Culture
Deep learning algorithms, like large language models, adapt their parameters based on input data.
This adaptive nature allows them to effectively model various forms of human culture, including language.
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The Mismeasure of Man is a critical examination of the statistical methods and cultural motivations underlying biological determinism. Gould challenges the traditional concept of intelligence as a single, measurable quantity and critiques the historical use of psychometrics and IQ tests. He argues that these methods are flawed due to reification and ranking, and that they have been used to justify social inequalities and racist ideologies. The book also includes a critique of Samuel George Morton's craniometry and later editions address Richard Herrnstein and Charles Murray's book The Bell Curve.
The Eye of the Master
Matteo Pasquinelli
This week we have a special episode for you as part of our inter-season programming - an interview with Matteo Pasquinelli. Of course, we’re still working hard to bring you more roundtable discussions with our wonderful Verso authors in our upcoming fourth series of The Verso Podcast, but until then we hope you’ll enjoy the exciting interim episodes we have in store for you.
Matteo Pasquinelli is an associate professor in Philosophy of Science at the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Heritage at Ca’ Foscari University in Venice. His writing has appeared in AI and Society, e-flux, Multitudes, Radical Philosophy, the South Atlantic Quarterly, and many other places besides. He is the author of several books, including his most recent work, The Eye of the Master: A Social History of Artificial Intelligence - out now with Verso Books (https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/735-the-eye-of-the-master).
Matteo sat down with Richard Hames to explore some of the ideas laid out in his latest text - cutting against popular understandings of artificial intelligence that have come to increasingly dominate our cultural imaginaries, our workplaces, our digital lives, and our visions of the future. Pasquinelli argues that whilst many may claim that artificial intelligence imitates biological intelligence, the reality is that AI does not amount to a digital proxy of the neural pathways of individual human beings. Instead, he advances the opinion that AI imitates the intelligence of labor and social relations - framing it as a social and political creature, whose problems demand social and political responses.
In this interview Matteo talks algorithms, IQ tests, and why AI will ultimately lead to us working more, not less.
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