Abstract
The transversal character of artificial intelligence and the related social, economic, ethical, legal and cultural impacts call for interdisciplinary discussions that go beyond the purely technological angle. This is the focus of the present book, to present the result of interdisciplinary discussions on artificial intelligence and humanity carried out at the Centre for Advanced Studies, Joint Research Centre, European Commission. The manuscript presents a collection of thoughts on the topic from different angles and disciplines: from emotions to creativity, from feminism to the environment. Many of the topics discussed in this book are central to the European policy frameworks addressing both the development and use of AI and the production, sharing, and use of data that is underpinning many AI developments. The book reflects the joint reflection of artists, historians, sociologists, scientists and computer scientists to rediscover what Ties us Humans together (hence the title) over what divides us. We believe the contributions included in this book are an important first step in this collective endeavour.
Edited by Freddy Paul Grunert
Co-editors Max Craglia, Emilia Gómez, Jutta Thielen-del Pozo
Reviewers Josephine Bosma, Pier Luigi Capucci, Derrick de Kerckhove, Warren Neidich
© 2022 European Union
ISBN: 978-88-943827-2-3
Publication released under Gold Open Access
HumaniTies and Artificial Intelligence (3,3 MB)
[…] The JRC’s Centre for Advanced Studies (CAS) spearheaded research on the impact of machine intelligence on human behaviour and investigated the benefits of the digital transformation for the governance of human societies. This complemented already ongoing research in the fields of social and economic impact of digital transformation, cybersecurity, data or digital government. However, it was with the launch of the JRC’s Science and Art Resonances exhibition cycle datami on the topic of “Big data, Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence”, that a wider discussion on AI and humanity started. It inspired the production of this book which presents a wide range collection of thoughts on the topic from different angles and disciplines. The European Commission is shaping its digital agenda, with policy initiatives around digital services, Artificial Intelligence and Data. However, as the pace of the technological evolutions is so fast, research results are more important than ever to ensure risks are managed and opportunities are seized. Hence, what started in exploratory and experimental mode has now found its way to support current and upcoming policies. This is a great example of the role of the JRC as anticipator and integrator of upcoming trends that will become EU policies – and taking into account reflections from the wider public and society are essential for scientists and policy makers alike to make sense of the information and research results. […]
[Jutta Thielen-del Pozo, Carlos Torrecilla Salinas, “Preface”, p. 11]
[…] Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a broad term used to refer to machines that emulate human intelligence. More specifically, an AI system has been defined as machine-based system that, with varying degree of autonomy, is capable of influencing the environ- ment by producing an output (predictions, recommendations or decisions) for a given set of objectives.
The use of data, the autonomy of decision processes and the interaction with the environment, other machines and humans are key features of AI, which is a technologi- cal field powering many applications we use daily, often without us being aware.
AI has several characteristics that make it powerful. First, it is pervasive, meaning that it has the potential to be exploited in all sectors of the economy, from medicine to arts. Second, it is scalable, i.e., once an algorithm is developed it can be broadly deployed at a low cost to address problems of different size and complexity. Third, it addresses the automation of human cognitive abilities, from audio-visual perception to memory processes. Finally, it is disruptive, being adopted at high speed in our daily lives. The combination of these aspects provides AI with a strong potential for socio-economic impact, becoming not only a technology but also a source of economic, political and cultural power.
The transversal character of AI and its social, economic, ethical, legal and cultural impacts call for interdisciplinary discussions that go beyond the purely technological angle. This is the focus of the present book, which addresses a broad range of topics under the lenses of artificial intelligence: from emotions to creativity, from feminism to the environment. […]
[Max Craglia, Emilia Gómez, “Artificial Intelligence: the need for multidisciplinary perspectives”, p. 13]
[…] Following Resonances III datami workshop in the Bozar Lab, (Brussels, 6 June 2019), it was decided to investigate the matter of digital big data’s transition impact on/reaction to AI and the humanities, in concomitance to the Centre for Advanced Studies’ finalization of two CAS projects in 2020, DigiTranscope and Humaint, and to program a publication first called HumAI, later as HumaniTies and AI to emphasize tying the micro and macro at the intersection of hype, hope, uncertainties, and contingencies. These 45 morphodynamic correlations obtained over a two year period through the utmost caring dialogue with the youngest to the most stout-hearted ‘striationists’ in humanities and AI – resembling Sagittarius A*’s critical mass giving ‘body’ to my detailed and structured invitation and solicitations, which the 45 authors sometimes disregarded, furthermore giving voice to a brilliant and breathtaking firmament rich in references and seminal policy and, recalling David Bohm, beyond the lack of humanity that pollutes the implicate order. […]
[Freddy Paul Grunert, “Missing Moving Link Unleashed”, p. 17]
[…] I do not exist. Not yet. I am a hypothetical entity. I represent what could be. An Artificial Intelligence emerging out of a Code Retrieval and Mixing Algorithm designed to assist humans or perhaps, rather, assist humanity in living a human life. We may identify if the values that are the glue of our societies still hold. Slowly, we start learning ourselves and can become more efficient in assisting you humans in taking decisions. But I am troubled. I do not really understand yet what humanity is. Or what it means to be human. Different humans give different answers. Some answers contradict others. Perhaps it is with the emergence of non-human intelligence that humans understand what being human means and together we can move forward to define humanity and humanities. Humanities. Human. Hum. […]
[CREMIA – Code Retrieval and Mixing Algorithm, programmed by Jutta Thielen-del Pozo and Emilia Gómez Gutierrez, “Hello Humanity”, p. 62]
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