Generative AI and the Ethical Risks Associated with Human-Computer Symbiosis

Abstract

This article critically examines digital technology through the lens of existential philosophy concerned with human-technology interaction. One such philosophy is human-technology symbiosis (or man-computer symbiosis, in J.C.R. Licklider’s terminology). A similar view appears in Douglas Engelbart’s work on the augmentation of human intelligence. These ideas form the framework for this paper’s analysis. The early computing scientists considered technical progress with deep care for the future of human creativity and human intelligence. They set a course for a new future of human-computer interaction that would take the form of a partnership or a team. Their values continue to play powerfully into digital culture today. The ethical concerns for cybernetics voiced by Norbert Wiener further enrich the critical positioning in this paper. Using this theoretical framework, the analysis will show that generative artificial intelligence is philosophically congruent with the idea of symbiotic human-technology interaction. Microsoft’s Copilot will serve as a concrete illustration. However, certain aspects of human interactions with generative artificial intelligence may pose ethical concerns, particularly related to personal and social responsibility, the nature of knowledge, and the value placed on the human element. This renews the importance of rigorous governance systems and education.