ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND „BLACK BOXES“ OF DIGITAL TOTALITARISM

Humanology 2 (2025)  [71–99]

 

AUTHOR(S) / АУТОР(И): Divna Vuksanović

Download Full Pdf   

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/HumanologyI-2.071V

ABSTRACT / САЖЕТАК:

Current processes of digitization across all areas of life have not been suficiently examined. In this context, it seems that in the age of late capitalism, which heavily relies on the use of new technologies and artificial intelligence, the manner in which intelligent systems are utilized and who controls them has become highly questionable. Knowledge, in this regard, appears to play a crucial role, concerning both the manipulation of these systems and the delegation of decision- making power to them. However, the use of knowledge as power paves the way towards digital totalitarianism, which will be discussed in this article. Additionally, the text explores the potential humanization of these processes, taking into account the qualities of transparency and human participation in explaining the activities of artificial intelligence. All these processes are viewed from the perspective of the relationship towards so-called other consciousnesses, illustrated through the thought experiment of the „Chinese Room“ and the metaphor of „black boxes“.

KEYWORDS / КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ:

digital totalitarianism, artificial intelligence, “black boxes”, knowledge, capitalism

REFERENCES / ЛИТЕРАТУРА:

  1. Austin J. L. (1980). Tuđe svesti, in: Svest i saznanje, Beograd: Nolit, p.p.141-184.
  2. „Defining Surveillance Capitalism“ (2022), in: Digital Literacy and AI, Pepperdine Libraries, https://infoguides.pepperdine.edu/digitalliteracy/ surveillancecapitalism,15.10.2024.
  3. Deset godina kasnije: Edvard Snouden i njegova otkrića, (2023). DW, https://www.dw.com/sr/deset-godina-kasnije- edvard-snouden-i-njegova-otkri%C4%87a/a-65837392, 10. 2024.
  4. Ehsan, Riedl, M. (2020). Human-Centered Explainable AI: Towards a Reflective Sociotechnical Approach, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340438092_Human- centered_Explainable_AI_Towards_a_Reflective_ Sociotechnical_Approach, pdf.
  5. Godfrey-Smith, (2017). Other Minds: The Octopus and the Evolution of Intelligent Life, London: William Collins.
  6. Johal, A. (2023). From Black Box to Glass Box: The Evolution of Explainable AI: The Human Side of AI: Why Explainable AI is Essential for Human-Centered AI, 16.2024.
  7. Harris, J. (2019). Reading the minds of those who never lived. Enhanced beings: The social and ethical challenges posed by super intelligent AI and reasonably intelligent humans. Cambridge: Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics 28(4), p.p. 585–591.
  8. Nyholm, S. (2019). Other minds, other intelligences: the problem of attributing agency to machines. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics , 28 (4), p.p. 592-598; pdf, p.p. 1-8.
  9. Pasquale, F. (2015). The Black Box Society: The Secret Algorithms That Control Money and Information, Cambridge, Massachusetts, London, England: Harvard University Press.
  10. Spannos, Ch. (2016). Mass Surveillance and “Smart Totalitarianism”, ROAR: Issue #4: ‘State of Control’, 4.2024.
  11. „Šta je veštačka inteligencija u crnoj kutiji?“ (2024). Računarski fakultet Univerziteta Union u Beogradu, https://raf.edu.rs/citaliste/sta-je-vestacka-inteligencija-u- crnoj-kutiji/, 16. 10. 2024.
  12. Vuksanović, D. (2022). Philosophy in the Time of Media and Technological-information Madness, in: In medias res: časopis filozofije medija, Vol. 11 No. 20, Zagreb: Centar za filozofiju medija i mediološka istražvanja, p.p. 3292, https://www.centar-fm.org/inmediasres_eng/index. php/divna-vuksanovic-philosophy-in-the-time-of-media- and-technological-information-madness, 20.10. 2024.
  13. Zuboff, Shoshana (2019).The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power, we.riseup.net Crabgrass, na stranici: https://we.riseup.net, pdf.