[image credit, the verge]

Why this post

I’ve recently heard people say thing like “AI will solve climate change” or “AI will fix education” or “AI will end poverty”. These are examples of “AI solutionism”, which is the idea that eventually every problem can be solved by AI if we just make the models good enough.

Simple definition of AI solutionism

AI solutionism is the belief that artificial intelligence can solve all of humanity’s problems, often without considering the complexities and nuances of those problems. It assumes that AI, if advanced enough, can provide solutions to issues ranging from social inequality to environmental challenges.

The pitfalls

1. Many problems are complex and multifaceted. This oversimplification means that these problems are a lot harder to solve than you think.
2. If AI stops getting better, then what? Many people assume that AI will keep getting better forever, but this is not guaranteed.

Is it a fallacy?

Short answer: Yes, it is a fallacy. Long answer: It depends on how you define fallacy. A fallacy is an error in reasoning that leads to invalid arguments or conclusions that may seem convincing but are actually flawed. AI solutionism can be considered a fallacy because it often relies on oversimplified reasoning and ignores the complexities of real-world problems.

Closing

AI is a powerful tool that can help us solve many problems, but it is not a magic bullet that will solve everything.

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