Artificial intelligence through the eyes of Hannah Arendt: fear, alienation, and empowerment

Hannah Arendt is known—among the many other contributions to political theory, ethics, and reflections on the human condition—for her analysis on the origins of pre-WWII totalitarianism, but her insights into the history of science and technology, particularly their impact on society and politics, also prove valuable to help put recent developments in artificial intelligence and social media into perspective. In this paper, I extrapolate Arendt’s framework to examine the potential threat artificial intelligence poses to humanity, drawing parallels between contemporary technological advances and those of Arendt’s era, such as nuclear weapons and space exploration. I argue that the fear of artificial intelligence ultimately reflects a deeper fear of humanity itself. I then explore Arendt’s analysis of how the history of science and technology has brought us to a point where our R&D efforts no longer seem to be focused on physical products but rather on intricate processes—in the case of artificial intelligence self-learning algorithms that rely on human input for proper functioning. The scientific method, which spurred the recent scientific revolution and, as a side effect, unleashed an impressive range of technological breakthroughs on society at an ever-accelerating pace, has, through increased consumerism and job automation, added to world-alienation and self-alienation, culminating, in turn, in a society of increasingly isolated individuals that are vulnerable to populism and authoritarianism. In line with Arendt, I contend, however, that negative outcomes are not inherent to scientific and technological advancement. While social media and artificial intelligence can be used for surveillance, control, and the spreading of misinformation and hate, as we sometimes see today, they can equally be used to counter world- and self-alienation. These technologies hold the potential, for instance, to enhance education in the humanities, uphold the boundaries between science and technology and politics, and make democratic processes swifter, more direct, and more transparent, thereby reinforcing participatory democracy and fostering a more engaged and connected society.