In 1917, Freud identified three 'narcissistic insults' inflicted by scientific progress: Copernicus' heliocentric model, Darwin's evolution, and his own work on the unconscious. These insights diminished humanity's perceived centrality and sovereignty. The rise of artificial intelligence represents a fourth insult, undermining self-understanding. Suggestions to address this threat include rephrasing 'artificial intelligence' to 'co-intelligence' to highlight its role as a complement to human thought. Additionally, some scholars describe AI as a 'stochastic parrot,' indicating that while it produces language that seems intelligent, it lacks genuine comprehension.
The first insult by science was Copernicus's discovery that we are not at the center of the universe, followed by Darwin's evolution theory and Freud's insights into the unconscious.
The emergence of artificial intelligence serves as a new insult to humanity's self-understanding, thereby challenging our sense of intellectual sovereignty.
Changing the term 'artificial intelligence' to 'co-intelligence' may help to mitigate the impact on our self-image and emphasize the complementary role of AI.
Critics describe large language models as 'stochastic parrots,' emphasizing that while they generate coherent language, they lack true understanding or consciousness.
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