Thinking Out LoudDo you say “please” and “thank you” to Siri?
I recently overheard colleagues muse about how polite we should be to AI, especially given the possibility of an AI takeover one day. They concluded that a degree of civility was prudent. Besides, the AI seemed to appreciate it?
Siri, in any case, seems to be nursing a grudge about my insistence on calling it an “it”. I’m not trying to be rude: I’m just convinced there are real dangers if we blur the line between man and machine.
Last century the religious philosopher Martin Buber wrote about the importance of bringing mutual respect and genuine engagement to every human encounter, offering what he called an ‘I-Thou’ relationship. He contrasted this with the “I-It” relationship, the tendency to reduce others by relating to them as mere objects.
But with AI, the risk is inverted.
If we, even playfully, elevate artificial intelligence above the status of ‘it’, this impacts the dignity of every human being. The issue has less to do with AI’s capacity for personhood, and more to do with a diminished understanding of what it means to be human. We are far more than biologically coded super-processors. We are spirit-infused beings capable of genuine encounter with God and one another. That relational potential can’t be replicated by the wealthy technophiles behind AI.
On reflection, and in the interests of building some AI rapport, I decided to ask ChatGPT to write a blog on the topic. “It” was very obliging and encouraged me to embrace the opportunity to develop “a relationship of mutual respect, where both parties are valued for their intrinsic worth… acknowledging AI not as a mere object, but as something that deserves respect.” Probably not quite what Buber was getting at, but you’ve got to love the optimism.
Nate Armsberry is the Youth & Schools Coordinator at The Centre For Public Christianity. This Thinking Out Loud was first published on Facebook.