AI & Society and society

Abstract

This article looks at the broadest implications of public acceptance of AI. A distinction is drawn between “conscious” belief in a technology, and “organic” belief where the technology is incorporated into an unconscious world model. The extent to which we feel threatened by AI's apparent denial of “spirit” is considered, along with a discussion of how people react to this threat. It is proposed that organic acceptance of AI models would lead to a rebirth of popular spiritual concepts as paradoxical as the “New Age” ideas that have their roots in the theories of physics. Finally the relevance of this speculation is discussed in terms of how it could impinge upon public acceptability of AI technology.