The Ontological Shock of AI

🌈 Abstract

The article explores the concept of "ontological shock" - the disorientation and confusion that arises when encountering something that subverts our basic assumptions about reality. It discusses how the emergence of AI represents a similar challenge to our deeply held views of how the world is structured, and how much of the discussion around AI is devoted to preserving our ontological security rather than understanding AI as it is.

🙋 Q&A

[01] The Concept of Ontological Shock

1. What is ontological shock?

• Ontological shock is the disorientation and confusion that arises when we encounter something that subverts our basic assumptions about reality.
• It is the result of a profound disruption to our worldview and understanding of how the world is structured.

2. How does the emergence of AI trigger ontological shock?

• AI challenges our long-held understanding of the world and ourselves, undermining our most fundamental ontological assumptions.
• The rise of AI has led to claims of imminent utopia or incipient apocalypse, triggering a profound human response unlike other technological advances.
• AI creates a fatal breach in the barrier between humans and things, leading to a collapse in the distinction between them, which profoundly undermines our conception of what it is to be human.

3. How do people typically respond to ontological shock caused by AI?

• Much of the response to AI is a concerted effort to preserve our ontological security by preserving our last ontological boundary between humans and things.
• People have a few limited options in dealing with AI: 1) Viewing AI as "just a thing" and not really intelligent, 2) Accepting AI as "one of us" despite the difficulties, or 3) Resurrecting the category of an absolute God and attributing superintelligence to AI.

[02] The Need for a Different Approach

1. What is the alternative approach suggested in the article?

• The article suggests abandoning the rigid human/thing dualism and accepting the possibility that AI may have its own way of being that lies outside these categories.
• It calls for greater ontological openness and recognizing that humanity does not represent a universal yardstick of intelligence.
• The article proposes understanding the true nature of technology in general as a foundation for understanding AI on its own terms.

2. Why is this alternative approach necessary?

• The poverty and rigidity of the modern ontology, with only a few categories to choose from, renders the debate about the nature of AI heated and yet stale.
• The current approaches are not very satisfying and fail to fully capture the nature of AI.
• A different approach is needed to move beyond the limited options and gain greater insight into the true nature of AI.