In my thesis, I focus on some of the negative consequences of the exponential development of artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT, drawing from the issues presented by Jacques Ellul in his work The Technological Society. The author develops a comprehensive philosophy of technical civilization, which he presents as the tragedy of our time. In his work, Ellul emphasizes the role of technology in modern society and develops a system of thought that helps us understand the development of the technical civilization we have created ourselves.
Ellul's analysis encourages us to understand technology in a broader sense and warns of its far reaching impacts on society. Although the development of AI has both positive and negative consequences, I will primarily focus on the latter in this thesis. I will attempt to show how the author's philosophy of technology can illuminate and clarify the complex relationship between humans and AI-particularly the language model ChatGPT-and what implications this has for our future. Through the lens of ChatGPT, or rather its creators, we learn that the development of generative AI will have a significant impact on humanity. Through writing this thesis, I have realized that technology is no longer merely a tool in human hands but has become an autonomous, independent reality whose impacts are pervasive. AI will affect a wide range of areas, from automation and productivity to creativity, education, privacy, and surveillance.
The scope of AI's influence is extremely broad and can evoke fear, as we quickly realize that AI permeates all aspects of our daily lives. Technology also strives for maximum efficiency and productivity, increasingly generating itself and operating according to its own moral rules, which differ from human ones. This means that it often does not consider human values and emotions. All of this leads to a societal transformation of people, changes the environment in which we live, and negatively impacts the structure of our homes, interpersonal interactions, and human relationships.
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