Artificial Intelligence: Subject and Object

Abstract

This article is an ethical-cultural analysis of human interaction with Artificial Intelligence (AI). We treat AI as a “smart assistant” and as a potential autonomous personality. In the first case, we are talk- ing about such threats to humans as tightened control over privacy, insecurity of personal data, fake news propagation, job cuts, and gradual devaluation of human abilities caused by the technological progress. In the second case, we are talking about the threat of enslaving humanity by AI or death of humanity resulting from the AI progress at a pace unattainable for the human brain. The article dis- cusses options of relations with AI, depending on whether it is going to be recognized as an object or subject of morality. The article analyzes and compares interests and values of a person and AI, identi- fies variants of morality and ethics associated with them, determined by the specifics of technological and biological development of a personality. Proceeding from the fact that there are two major opin- ions on the origins of human morality – one based on conscious choice, and the other determined by biology – we argue that the main problem on the path to humans’ and AI’s unity of interests and goals will be AI’s biological “incorporeality”, since most human interests are limited to physicality and mortality. We also assume that AI is not going to be anthropocentric, and its ethics may be AI-centric or extra-specific.