Epistemology in AI (Transdisciplinary AI)
Authors: Idejiora-Kalu Ndubuisi 
Published: January 2024

A critical look at the evolution of AI strongly shows a sustained but stealth race to replace humans with AI. Early scientific literature and discourse on AI for some reasons (either to allow AI gain entry and acceptability in mainstream scientific and technological arena) vehemently deny this "human replacement agenda". This thinking pattern unknowingly shaped current scientific literature, discourse,  general understanding of what AI is and its development and applicability (a reductionist thinking). This limits our understanding in both the beneficial and destructive capabilities of AI. But when considering a TD assessment on the developmental dynamic of AI, one would comfortably say and must be bold to admit, that indeed AI intends replacing humans and is on course for fulfilling this.

 

We see this AI human replacement agenda in intensified R&D efforts dedicated to developing powerful AI system of systems which massively augment human reasoning, most times far better. The inexhaustible list includes the AI replacement of formerly considered human-centric jobs, advanced autonomous weapon systems, killer robots and AI in warfare, intelligent facial recognition, biometric monitoring, integrating AI on biological, nuclear and space-based weapons systems, etc. If this is the direction AI is taking, then a secondary aim would surely arrive at integrating epistemology in AI or "grant spirits" for AI systems. This is because a distinctive characteristic of a human is his spirit and one cannot replace humans with AI without creating proportionate or appropriate spirits for the AI systems. Sooner or later our AI systems would have epistemological functions and possess spirits. The place of the soul for such AI systems would be attained as well. If human knowledge, beliefs, voices, clips and laws can be preserved long after they are gone as is possible in smart digital technologies, then spirit-based AI would indeed cause these humans to live forever. If the feat of a spirit enamored AI is near, then why worry? Indeed when considering that humans possess good and bad spirits (from the epistemology of rational and irrational inertia) then these AI systems would of course have good or bad spirits and be bad or good AI.

 

Would integrating a spirit into a rule-based or machine learning algorithmic structure of an AI system have benefits? Yes!, profound benefits too. A spirit-based AI would of course make possible the "possession of feelings" by AI systems, a feat unattainable in both algorithmic, operational and inferential basis of AI systems today. This inability of AI systems to have feelings has continued to remain a major setback in the acceptability (indeed trust) and utilization of AI. As we agree that the spirit in AI is possible, then overlooking efforts aimed at making this possible or allowing AI to attain this level unhindered (admitting dangers of human involvement in AI) could pose a dangerous threat which can become highly destructive to mankind. This calls for critical supervision (TD-based ethical policing) and the accompanying of the evolution, development and applicability of AI hence venerating the need for human mediation in AI both as a major TD research subject and applicable function.

 

A discussion would be made on my approach which considers the synergy of critical systems heuristics (CSH) and systems engineering (Transdisciplinary Systems Engineering) to create "Transdisciplinary AI" which would formulate methods of integrating "human" epistemology in expert systems. Human epistemology is emphasized because by the maturity of this future nature of AI, there would be terms known as "AI or machine epistemology" or "AI or machine spirits". The investigation begins with creating expert systems (knowledge-based systems) with these functions with plans of moving into robotics and other machine learning arena. Finally, to move the needle on what is considered permissible epistemology or permissible spirit of/in AI is a critical component of the study of human mediation and AI which must be given critical attention. This would be discussed as well.