By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy

Dona Paula, March 13, 2020: Robotic science and humanoids can never replace humans; a Jesuit science teacher has assured a symposium on Artificial intelligence (AI) in Goa.

“Artificial intelligence cannot become humans’ coequal but it certainly can be a great collaborator,” Father Job Kozhamthadam, founder director of the Delhi-based Indian Institute of Science and Religion(IISR), told the March 12 meet.

Kozhamthadam, an award-winning historian and philosopher of science, says AI, through its machine learning and deep learning technologies, is tremendously transforming society.

The symposium was jointly organized by IISR and Science and Religion Sangam (SRS), Goa, on the theme ‘Being Human in An Age of AI: Humans and Humanoids are Collaborators’ at International Centre Goa (ICG), Dona Paula, near Panaji, the capital of Goa.

“Robotic technology and humanoids are also enhancing human life. While there are great promises and possibilities offered by AI, such a technology cannot ever be given the status of a human being. There are both limits and limitations of IA,” asserted the Jesuit, who was the main speaker at the symposium.

The limits of AI can never be overcome. Limits are inabilities imposed by nature for instance, humans cannot fly. Limitations can be overcome by science. Ill health is a limitation and can be overcome by medicine. “AI like any technology is a good servant but will turn a bad master and hence humanity cannot abdicate its responsibility,” cautions Father Kozhamthadam.

Jesuit Father Kuruvilla Pandikattu from Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth of Pune spoke of the loss of human freedom in a world of AI. He pointed out a worrisome fact that humans are hackable animals. But humans have a profound responsibility to resist our will being hacked by an AI, he added.

Father Nishant Alphonse Irrudyason, also from Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, highlighted the need for new ethics. He said that both deontological ethics and consequential ethics are inadequate for a new world of AI.

Father Victor Ferrao a professor at Rachol Seminary in the Archdiocese of Goa and founder director of SRS, enlightened the participants saying, “We do not have an algorithm for truth. All algorithms that run AI are embedding bias into the AI. These biases will only sustain echo chambers that amplify a monologue destroying all dissent. This is why it is likely that AI will derail the soul of democracy.”

Father Ferrao, who was also the moderator of the symposium. cautioned, “Hence, we have to save ‘The only safe Algorithm that is us.’”

He invited the audience “to understand the changed Self in a world of AI. The solitary self of Descartes is dead and new networking self of the society of networks is inborn. A networking self is mutating, multitasking, constantly migrating and dividing itself. The individual is slowly dying and a dividual is steadily rising in our society.”

Fr Ferrao reminded the audience, “for thoughtful deliberation on the issues facing us in this world of Artificial Intelligence, that has power over us making us almost salves, and suggested a responsible and the emancipative response that would bring virtue ethics to the fore.”