Classical Philosophical Approach To Artificial Intelligence: Merging Technology And Humanity

This book sheds philosophical light on the current and future scope of artificall inteligence. Artifical intelligence (AI) I is becoming increasingly relevant in today’s world. However, ‘AI’ is a very generic label that encompasses a multitude of realities and fuels very dissimilar reactions. Some share a positive view on it, stressing the important services provided by its applications to everyday life and in specific fields. Others grimly focus on possible biases of AI utilization outcomes and damaging consequence, and there are even apocalyptic visions of the terrible future impact of AI developments (Artificial General Intelligence - AGI) on humanity. 

Ricardo Crespo uses a classical philosophical approach to look at the nature of technology and of AI, including the ontology of AI and its potential abilities to think and act freely. This analysis reveals some of the current and upcoming perils of AI, calling for an appraisal of its actual pros and cons to determine the position and actions that should be adopted in its regard. Classical philosophical notions of metaphysics, epistemology, anthropology and ethics come in handy to gain a better understanding of this technological breakthrough. This approach challenges the notion that AI will eventually share human traits in the future. On the flip side, it will highlight the useful contributions that AI provides and will provide in the years to come.

Ricardo F. Crespo is Professor of Philosophy of Economics at IAE Business School, Universidad Austral, and Researcher at Argentina’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET). His latest book, The Nature of the Economy―Essays on the Philosophy and Epistemology of Economics, was published by Palgrave in 2022.