Liberal Arts and Tech: A Unique and Important Relationship

By Lauren Tankeh

I appreciated how Episode #8 "making up our minds: how AI is rewiring our brains with Professor De Kai'' of The Technically Human Podcast emphasized the importance of incorporating a liberal arts mindset into the development of technology and discussions about the ethical impacts of technology. As a liberal arts major at a university known for its engineering and other technical fields, I often feel that the skillset I am earning with my degree is not suited for the job market of the twenty-first century. After hearing this conversation, I was reminded of the value of my liberal arts degree and the skill set that comes with that degree.

Professor De Kai spoke on the relationship between science and art, describing the cyclical relationship between the two. He pointed out that for the first time in history we are separating those who are informed about art and those who are informed about science. This cognitive separation is having tremendous negative consequences; the rapid development of technology without the perspective of an artist or humanist can be lethal.

Professor De Kai also reframed my understanding of AI and how AI is currently impacting the world. AI is not the feelingless supercomputer-esque being that is portrayed in Western Media. Rather, modern AI is a field of inquiry that is tackling century-old questions about the nature of humanity. Some of these questions include "what does it mean to be human?" and "what does human consciousness mean?". In this class, we have tackled these same questions. While reading L'Intrusion and Harvest we examined how the physical body is related to the experience of being human, and if we were still human after organs such as our heart are removed. Essentially, how much can we take away from a being and still consider it human? Conversely, AI is asking what is the minimum bar that it takes to be considered human?

Perhaps the most compelling point of the entire podcast was when Professor De Kai used the example of not being able to translate the English word "Yes" into Chinese to illustrate how language, culture, and ethics are intimately intertwined. The linguistic difference between English and Chinese indicated a larger cultural difference that ultimately shed light on vast ethical differences between the two cultures. There is no universal code of ethics for Planet Earth, and the differences in ethical norms (which relate to linguistic and cultural norms) are important to consider when designing technology for our globalized world. One criticism I have of my Cal Poly Political Science education is the clear emphasis on Western-centric political thought. I once took a Political Philosophy course and asked my professor why we only read white male philosophers from Europe and North America, and he responded that no other political philosophy was worth studying. While my experience is unique, and other professors such as Professor De Kai encourage students to incorporate multicultural schools of thought into their education, I am concerned about the practice of devaluing other cultures. Our cultural knowledge and how we understand other cultures impact our unconscious bias. AI currently in the marketplace, such as the Facebook algorithm, is preying upon our unconscious bias for profit. I hope that as more AI is developed, individuals with liberal arts backgrounds and multicultural perspectives continue to shape how it is made.