Artificial Intelligence and the World Wide Web: Brain and friend?

Abstract

This paper looks at artificial intelligence (AI) and society and posits the idea of AI on the World Wide Web as a brain comparing it to the human brain. It frames the WWW as ‘friend’ to all and follows this disturbing train of thought. It speaks to tacit knowledge and tools and compares the work, skill knowledge of the librarians/curators to that of the artisan crafts person. It positions the work of the INSYTE-Cooley Research lab at the heart of this situation.Furthermore, it speaks of an ‘altered reality’ where a dangerous disconnection is occurring, where people are becoming observers of reality because of the abstraction that the screen provides. This spectator view is desensitizing people to what is happening in front of them and will be further fueled by the creation of the ‘metaverse’ in the future.It speaks of the danger of AI going from judgement to calculation without employing human reason and of the danger of humans becoming a passive audience. In this techno centric world it speaks of the amplified importance of tacit knowledge and the development of Human Centered Systems (HCS). It echoes Michael Cooleys thoughts on technology and the place of humanity within a techno-centric world. It speaks of the ethical and moral obligations to society and the danger of disregarding them.