Artificial Intelligence and John Stuart Mill's Views on Dignity and Progress. Artificial Intelligence and John Stuart Mill's Views on Dignity and Progress.

Abstract

This academic article aims to analyze artificial intelligence from the perspective of John Stuart Mill on dignity and progress. The study finds that the central tenet of qualitative utilitarianism does not reject physical pleasures like eating, drinking, or sensory satisfaction. Instead, it posits that something higher than physical pleasure exists: intellectual pleasure.The challenge posed by AI, with its capacity to manage complex and intellectual tasks, raises the question of whether these tasks, which were once sources of a higher form of human pleasure, will continue to be so. If AI takes over all creative work and can imitate creativity and artistic expression, or if it can make complex decisions for humans, such as medical diagnoses or legal judgments, will humans still retain their dignity and individuality as rational beings with free will.If AI simply makes humans so dependent on technology that they lose their ability to reason and solve problems on their own, Mill would not consider this to be genuine progress. This is because it does not improve humanity as a species capable of thought and decision-making.This concern extends to the concentration of AI decision-making power in the hands of a few technology companies. Furthermore, public participation may be diminished from that of a citizen with a voice to merely a user who must abide by platform rules. For example, instead of people collectively deciding on public policy, they may be limited to simply clicking "like" or "share," which is a superficial form of engagement that does not lead to the protection of genuine rights.