The Promise and Pitfalls of AI in Improving Our Moral Judgment

Can AI Help Us Be Better People?

We've all heard the hype about AI revolutionizing the world, but what about revolutionizing ourselves? Can AI truly help us become better people? Jon Rueda, a Ph.D. candidate, and La Caixa INPhINIT Fellow at the University of Granada thinks so. In a recent article, he co-wrote with Bianca Rodriguez, they argue that AI can play a role in improving our moral judgment.

In their paper, Rueda and Rodriguez discuss the concept of an AI-based voice assistant, known as the Socratic assistant or SocrAI, which aims to help improve our reasoning and moral decision-making through dialogue. The idea is to emulate the Socratic method and provide guidance on complex moral issues without dictating what is good or bad. However, they also acknowledge the potential downsides of AI influencing our autonomy and shaping our character, as well as concerns around data protection and deskilling our moral abilities.

Here are three key takeaways from the article:

1. Socratic AI as a potential solution: The article argues that AI assistants, such as the Socratic assistant (SocrAI), could help us improve our morality. SocrAI is based on the Socratic method and aims to advance our knowledge, think about complex moral issues, and improve our moral judgment through dialogue. The AI assistant wouldn't dictate what is good or wrong but would help users improve their reasoning.
2. Balancing benefits and concerns: The authors are optimistic about the potential of AI to help us become better people, but they also acknowledge the many concerns that need to be addressed. For example, there are concerns about data protection, shaping autonomy and agency, and the potential for deskilling moral abilities.
3. The role of AI in shaping children's ethics: The authors raise the question of whether it would be good for children to grow up with a Socratic assistant. They have the intuition that we should be more protective of children's autonomy but acknowledge that children are already exposed to other kinds of technologies that can manipulate their preferences and perspectives. They suggest that AI applications could have a positive role in improving children's moral abilities, but also caution against the potentially deleterious effects.

AI has the potential to help us be better people, but it's not as straightforward as it may seem. AI systems like the Socratic assistant aim to improve our moral reasoning and decision-making processes. The Socratic assistant uses a dialogue-based method to help users think more critically about complex moral issues and make more informed decisions. However, there are also concerns about the potential for AI to shape our autonomy and agency, as well as its ability to reproduce and amplify human biases.

While the use of AI to improve our moral reasoning and decision-making is an exciting prospect, it's important to consider the potential drawbacks and ethical considerations. As Jon Rueda, Ph.D. candidate and La Caixa INPhINIT Fellow at the University of Granada, highlights in his work, there is a need for a balanced appreciation of this technology.

For those interested in learning more about the intersection of AI and ethics, I recommend checking out Rueda's article, "Can AI Help Us Be Better People?" published in Nautilus. The article provides a detailed analysis of the potential benefits and drawbacks of using AI to improve our moral reasoning, as well as a thorough exploration of the ethical considerations involved. 

Additionally, considering the ethical implications of AI and emerging technologies more broadly, "The Ethics of Technology: A Gerontological Perspective" by Bernard Stiegler is a highly recommended read for those interested in exploring the impact of technology on society and aging populations. Stiegler offers a unique and thought-provoking analysis of the relationship between technology, human development, and the future of our species.