"AI is designed to make people not think. But why study philosophy at university if you don't want to think - if you don't want to sharpen your critical abilities - and instead outsource them to a mindless AI program? In these moments, both his students' studies and his own role as a teacher feel less meaningful."
"When companies like OpenAI or Google DeepMind say they aim to ensure that their AI products benefit, transform, or improve people's lives, what vision of the good is being assumed? What is asked in return? For Nyholm, the deeper question is: Can AI improve our lives in the way that matters most - by deepening meaning - or might it diminish meaning in ways that remain largely unexamined?"
"Meaning is a complex idea, and we first need to be clear about what we mean when we speak of it. If meaning were entirely subjective, then whatever feels meaningful to someone would simply count as meaningful. To take the question seriously, meaning has to be tied to criteria or practices that can be weighed and compared. Some ways of acting, creating, or relating can reasonably be said to carry more meaning than others."
Professor Sven Nyholm observes that students increasingly rely on AI summaries instead of engaging with challenging texts, undermining the development of critical thinking skills. He questions the implicit vision of human flourishing promoted by tech companies claiming their AI products will benefit and improve lives. Nyholm argues that meaning is not subjective but requires objective criteria and practices that can be evaluated and compared. The central concern is whether AI can genuinely deepen meaning in human life or whether it diminishes meaning in ways society has not yet fully examined. Understanding what constitutes meaningful activity becomes essential to assessing AI's true impact on human existence.
Read at Big Think
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