Fruitful and harmonious: artificial intelligence by our side

Solomeo, 28 November 2023

For almost a year now, many have been experimenting with the best-known tools of generative artificial intelligence. In the beginning, perhaps, it was more out of curiosity than anything else; then, in the light of the first results, the imagination began to fly, in search of the most suitable use in private life and work.

Nowadays, time and again we receive e-mails written in a very refined, polished manner, from people, partners, or contacts who for years had written to us very simple, sometimes straightforward, and not always memorable messages, without any charming words. These recent letters, however, read artificial, untrue, and we can tell that they have not been written by human hand and soul, but rather by artificial intelligence. And disappointment arises out of those apparently so human comments, thanks, compliments and statements that had initially opened our hearts and brought us spiritually closer to the sender: it is not our friend's or colleague's hand that has written such winged and moving words, but that of a technological product, generated by a very rich linguistic model, which is very powerful and extraordinary, but emotionless and unaware of why and to whom it is writing.

To guess what is happening and what may happen is not so easy, and to refrain from hasty judgement is perhaps unrealistic. What we do know is that we believe in human inventiveness and in the innovations that have accompanied the evolution of our societies. However, as is always the case when we are faced with such disruptive inventions that could potentially change the way human relationships are born, established and pursued, we start to reflect on what is more or less right to do, that is, how to use such innovations in line with our features of social, creative and free human beings, of people who could never conceive of replacing human beings with machines.

Generative artificial intelligence is a contemporary invention that most likely has a period of great development and deployment ahead of it. As in other areas of technology, we will find ourselves using it more and more frequently in carrying out our daily business, perhaps making repetitive tasks less burdensome and using the time saved for what is closest to our ancient humanity, namely creativity, fun, and – why not? – that little bit of madness that comes from our dreams.

It is a fact that generative artificial intelligence makes it easier to process, summarise and analyse complex or extensive data, and that it makes their understanding easier, thus better directing our future actions. We will be able to translate, correct, receive suggestions and even complete charts, writings, work. It will be very useful for drafting formal communications, business letters, administrative comments, statistical analyses, and the kind of communications that we might call "not driven by sentiment". However, it is difficult to think that a tool like this, a sort of robot that we will never see crying or moved before a sunset, a personal assistant always available and capable, can replace us for what comes from our heart: it is feeling, emotion, intimacy, friendship that guides our pen.

Balance is everything. The frieze of the Apollo temple at Delphi reads: "Nothing in excess". It is one of the most extraordinary ethical virtues of the great people that were the ancient Greeks. And Hegel thought that quantity determines quality, as if to say that when we go beyond the harmony of things, their very useful nature changes: if we know how to use artificial intelligence with the balance it deserves, we will have unimaginable benefits, but we should not overdo it.

I am reminded of language, for example. According to a research by the distinguished linguist Tullio De Mauro, in 1976 grammar school children had a vocabulary of 1,500 words; according to the same survey, repeated twenty years later, that vocabulary had dwindled to 640, and today, perhaps, when thinking of mobile phones and short messages, it has decreased even further. And what might happen if we entrust AI with the task of choosing words? Perhaps, with a weakened ability to generate words, the act of thinking itself might suffer, a cornerstone of humanity.

Going back to the topic, when drafting a letter using AI, it would appear perhaps amiable to add something like "written together with artificial intelligence", some sort of elegant and sincere statement showing respect for our recipients and the ethics of our actions, a humane way of giving due value to our work and thought. One of our writings could, for example, end like this:

“... May Creation always light our path.
Yours,
Brunello

Written together with AI”