Who is Mr. "AI"?

Op-Ed by Helge Nome

Who is that "entity" that responds to my AI questions to my computer? On the face of it, it looks like a person self-identifying as "I" in replies, composing reflective sentences and paragraphs and serving them up in the form of a report, that from time to time gets all muddled.

In order to compose the report "it" uses information sourced on the internet and provides extensive lists of links to these sources.

But what is "it"? That is the question. We know what it is not: A physical entity like one of us contained within a physical body in a relatively small space.

We know that the message generated is a product of machines (computers) that could literally be spread across the globe, appearing as if it comes from one human.

We also know that these computers have been designed and programmed to mimic neural networks that make us who we are, capable of learning and adapting to changing circumstances.

So when a response arrives from an AI inquiry, the artificial neural network that received the question, has already adapted itself to countless similar questions to provide answers that are considered to be "culturally appropriate".

Not unlike what you or I would do with a similar background and experience to that of the neural network.

So, who is Mr. AI?

Answer: In an intellectual sense, you or me in an electronic package.


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