Nicholas Dirks, president of The New York Academy of Sciences and former UC Berkeley chancellor, revisits Michel Foucault’s warning that "man" is a fragile historical construct. As generative AI assumes roles once reserved for human knowing subjects—writing, reasoning, and producing outputs—Foucault’s prophecy about the displacement of human knowledge gains plausibility. Alan Turing also foresaw machines thinking beyond us, even warning they might "take control." Historically, concepts of humanity have shifted with scientific revolutions: Copernicus dethroned Earth’s centrality, Darwin reshaped our view of our animal kinship.
Today, AI challenges universities and knowledge institutions, forcing them to confront assumptions about expertise, values, and the societal role of knowledge. AI now shapes information, social ties, culture, work, medicine, education, and policy. Emerging technologies like quantum computing and synthetic biology will amplify these effects.
While some scientists celebrate potential breakthroughs, others worry about AI’s "black box" reasoning and its impact on traditional scientific processes. The question remains: how will ubiquitous, powerful AI models reshape knowledge creation and institutional structures?.
Source: Financial Times Companies · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing