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Chris Stanziale
Dr. Busch
Philosophy
16 November 2012
Artificial Intelligence
Since the beginning of civilization, humans have always tried to better themselves, the
world around them, and the many physical and mental experiences, for better or for worse. These
ideas of “bettering the human experience” have grown from very primal thoughts to full blown
automations that we know of today. The inventions we know of today act like humans and can
perform specific tasks like humans. The list goes on and on. This is all possible because of the
exponential development of artificial intelligence.
The simple, yet radical, thought of incorporating the many functions of the human mind
into a lifeless object had very humble beginnings. The idea first started out in the myths of many
societies, specifically ancient Greece and the Middle East. In these myths, the Greeks believed
that there were two statues, Pygmallion and Galatea, that could come to life instantly and fulfill
the exact functions a human could. While in over in the Middle East, the civilization had many
humanoid looking sculptures that were not supposed to resemble any specific human being
created in bunches. The wide-spread belief of the created “automatons” by the people was that
these sculptures had been given a “human mind” by their creator and they were considered
sacred in the culture. This then leads into the actual being of artificial intelligence and its
capabilities. If AI was so highly regarded in the ancient world, one can only imagine how highly
it is thought of now. We use artificial intelligence everyday of our lives without even knowing it

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or, when we do, just shrug it off. From everyday computers, to the not so everyday robots,
artificial intelligence has as held a place in human culture.
The first ever conference on artificial intelligence came in 1956 at Dartmouth College to
talk about what artificial intelligence really is and what the plans are for the future. Well, we can
now say looking back that it was a lot. The term was first coined and ideas were exchanged.
What followed was the greatest and quickest following and development of any scientifical field
in the history of the world. Today, we, as a society, are advancing much faster than ever before.
Therefore, we need to create several things to expand our social needs and help us better the
human experience. Thus is so by the creation of AI, artificial intelligence. From personal
computers to war machine drones, the societal gain of AI has tremendously increased since the
early days of this concept.
If one were to combine the two topics of robotics and computers, they may find
themselves looking into the abilities and uses the military tactical forces. In the United States, the
current use of AI for warfare is quite surpassing anyone would have thought. The ability to
create a drone that can be controlled from a computer so far away from the battlefield is quite
amazing. Not only does it save U.S. soldiers’ lives, it further demonstrates the U.S.’s prowess in
the military advances. However there are issues that come with such a feat. One is that these
drones will become powerful enough to destroy large quantities of civilization. The current
research and development team in the United States military are always looking to improve the
chances of the United States winning at all costs. Eventually this could lead to catastrophic
measures. Granted it is saving human lives on one side, one can argue that it leads to the
possibility of destroying more on the opposition’s side. I would argue that if this were to occur
that the U.S. can potentially help others with their research on this. Thus leading into a full on

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war between man controlled machines. However it leaves to be explained, what is the extent that
the military can go with these things? Well, just from imagination we can conjure up ideas of
giant robotic war machines. Imagine if they were real, the capacity of war, and it could all very
well be a possibility. For such a great and powerful thing, I think that philosophers would have
no retort to such research. The ability to essentially annihilate the enemy would only bring up
ethical issues and not the humanistic issues of those of Plato and Descartes. However, I still feel
they would both object to the situation at hand. For one it is quite commonly known that these
philosophers were both very humanistic in their approaches towards life. If the military, or
anyone for that matter, would to create such a war machine that it has the capability to destroy
everything in its path and especially human life, would not sit well the mindsets of both of these
prestigious philosophers. Killing off your own kind because you are able to create such a AI
program that it destroys mankind at the expense of a non-human minded creature is something
anyone would object to.
With all the many AI run compatibilities we have in today’s society, it is very easy to just
sit back and watch the show. However, there were many people before us who would have a
problem or at least question the many abilities of artificial intelligence. One of those people
would be philosopher, Rene Descartes. Mr. Descartes actually did predict that somewhere along
the lines of humanity that one day someone would be able to build a human like structure and
fabricate something that would resemble and be able to carry out the many functions of the
human brain. However, despite his predictions, he was not a fan of such work. One of the first
problems Descartes would have with the entire AI ability is that it dehumanizes humans.
Descartes argued way before the research of robotics that if society were able to fabricate a
mind, one would not be able to use in a human body, and therefore, in turn, use it in some lifeless

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made up body as well. Descartes believed that humans were a superior race for a reason and, I
believe, he would feel upset at the human race if he were to see robots running around. We see
robots today and do not think much of it or fascinated by it. Descartes would say that robots in
itself are lifeless beings. For one he felt that to be compatible and highly regarded in this world,
one must have the prudence to distinguish situations in real world situations. The AI created
today for most robotics does not include “rational decision making”, rather it is off one so that a
specific task to be carried out. So Descartes would argue, what is the purpose of such a thing if it
cannot make a decision for itself? Another big selling point for Descartes on such an issue would
be the ability to speak. Yes, there are plenty instances where one has been able to speak to a
computer or phone, specifically Apple’s Siri, where we would ask it a question and get a
predisposed answer back. Granted it is a very limited form of language, we, as a society, accept
that it is talking back to us. However for Descartes, I believe he would argue that this is not
“rational language” which makes humans human and distinguishes such a class. Rational
language for one that does not know consists of adjusting to the social situation one is currently
present in when making conversation, and the ability to communicate on the fly, where one can
adjust their words accordingly to the present situation at hand. Well, compared to most
computers, Siri on the iPhone, seems to be the best example that can do such a thing. One can
ask it anything and it will get a reply back that seems as if someone inside the phone is talking to
you. However, we all blatantly know this isn’t such the case. Rather, Descartes would argue, if
we were to take such AI and had a human talk to it, it would be a very awkward situation. What
essentially Descartes would want in this argument, is that he would not be able to hold
conversation with Siri because it is a predisposed being and had he asked it a very deep question

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that is not in the range of Siri’s capabilities, the AI would not be able to adjust fully, while a
human most certainly would.
Besides Descartes, another philosopher that would take issue to the entire AI idea would
be that of Plato. For Plato, reasoning would be the main human learning experience and as to
why we can distinguish two physical things from one another. Nowadays there are self-learning
computers and robots that are self-taught and programmed by the internet and if they were to
identify a physical being, it could essentially just search it on the internet, essentially destroying
Plato’s “experience” philosophy. However, there have also been robotics that have been identify
and learn physical beings without having the capability of turning to the internet as a resource.
Therefore, it would be learning through experience. But, Plato would probably not identify such
a thing as human, however. Plato was a humanist that thought humans were by far the most
superior species on the planet. Now that we have created something to our intellectual levels, it is
possible now for these robots to reason, which in turn according to Plato is what makes humans,
humans. Essentially, the AI for reasoning in robotics has become the same as humans, at least
according to the philosophy of Plato, which would not sit well for one of the most famous
philosophers of all time.
Building upon Descartes view, a specific test was conducted by Alan Turing involving a
supercomputer. He said he had given it the ability to answer any question a human asks and will
provide a full answer (rational language). Well the experiment was done and Turing noted that
“if a machine acts as intelligently as a human being, then it is intelligent as a human being”. This
conclusion would not be suffice for Descartes and rather foolish according to him. A human
cannot be as intellectual as a human mainly because it cannot react to certain social standards
that a human does. Descartes would say that it is just a computer that answers questions and

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whose answers are already programmed in. It cannot think for itself nor change its thinking on its
wants, needs, or emotions. It is just a lifeless creature that has the capacity to think.
This then leads into a very controversial topic in today’s AI, “can a computer become
more intellectually capable than a human?” This high fear was transcribed in 2001: A Space
Odyssey where the computer controlling the ship, HAL 9000, takes over the crew and commands
them throughout the movie, while realizing that he is a strong and powerful “being”. Since HAL
grew increasingly more stronger everyday it was able to control all the things that had a potential
to kill it, and turned it on the space crew. This instance can be connected back to the military use
of AI. If the research and development department were to somehow create a create machine that
has the mind of HAL, there just might be catastrophic consequences. Even today, with the
powerful, yet primitive, drones we have now were to turn on the military and destroy anything in
their path would be quite devastating. So the question is asked, “Is it truly possible to have a
HAL incident in today’s society?” For the early philosophers and for Descartes especially,
humans will always be superior and the intelligence cannot be matched for whatever reasons
they hold. However, at the rate the AI has grown over the years it is a very feasible opinion.
Granted no one wants to see it happen, but for Descartes, it will never happen.
The capacity to think of such a great and complex ability mainly because we were born
with it and then transpose into another “body” is a great feat in human history. The fact that we
are now able to facilitate a human mind is quite great, but at the same time very fearful. It can be
possible one day we can create something that will be too powerful for us to stop, and maybe
have a Space Odyssey situation. But as of 2012, the AI department of science is still far away
from such thing and the wonders it has done for society far surpasses anything those people at

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the Dartmouth conference would have ever imagined, and for most certainly the great,
humanistic minds of both Plato and Descartes.

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Works Cited
"Artificial Intelligence." Introduction. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. <http://ai-
depot.com/Intro.html>.
"The History of AI." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012.
<http://library.thinkquest.org/2705/history.html>.
Markoff, John. "SMARTER THAN YOU THINK; War Machines: Recruiting Robots for
Combat." The New York Times. The New York Times, 28 Nov. 2010. Web. 16 Nov.
2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/science/28robot.html?pagewanted=all>.
"Military." AITopics /. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. <http://aitopics.net/Military>.
"WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE?" WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE? N.p.,
n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2012. <http://www-formal.stanford.edu/jmc/whatisai/>.