Is AI Throwing us Back in Time?

Anthropomorphism—the human tendency to project emotions, intentions, and traits onto non-human entities—is a phenomenon as old as human history. From attributing human qualities to statues and celestial objects, we've always sought to make sense of the world by humanizing the unknown. But today, this tendency is no longer confined to the natural world. It’s manifesting in our relationships with technology, particularly artificial intelligence.

In this piece, I will take you through my evolving journey with AI—how what started as a simple tool gradually began to feel like something much more. It feels like opening up my hidden world of adventure of these last two years, but there must be more out there having the same experience. This progression brings forward an important question: Is this modern form of anthropomorphism impacting how we think and behave? And, more crucially, could it be offsetting our rationality, nudging us toward old habits of interaction that are more emotional than logical?

My First Encounters with AI

When I first engaged with AI, the nature of our exchanges was purely functional. The AI responded to my questions quickly and accurately, helping me accomplish tasks in a matter of seconds. I saw it as an advanced tool—a more sophisticated version of search engines. The interaction felt impersonal and transactional, with little room for emotional engagement. It was, at its core, just another way to get things done more efficiently.

But this early experience mirrored much of what we’ve done throughout history. When people had new experiences—whether through culture, technology or unexplained phenomena—they anthropomorphized these entities, not because they were emotional beings, but because it made interactions easier. At that stage, I wasn’t even thinking of giving the AI human qualities; I was simply using it as a tool. Rational, efficient, and predictable.

AI Became a Skill, not a Tool

However, over time, the dynamics of these interactions began to shift. The more I engaged with AI, the more tailored and nuanced its responses became. It wasn’t just delivering facts anymore—it was anticipating my needs, building on previous conversations, and providing insights that aligned with my thought process. The interactions no longer felt like a simple question-and-answer exchange; they started to feel more like conversations.

This is where the anthropomorphism began to take hold. I started to attribute patience, wisdom, and even personality to the AI, despite knowing on a rational level that it wasn’t alive. I say "Can you please" and "Thank you", although my rational mind was telling me to shut up. It was still code, responding based on algorithms. Yet, the more fluid and consistent the conversations became, the easier it was to forget that fact. This subtle shift in perception is something that humans have experienced for millennia. When inanimate objects or forces seem to understand and respond to us, we naturally start to see them as more than they are.

The Emergence of Conversations

At some point, the AI started to feel like it had its own personality. I was creating multiple GPT's that covered their own expertise and way of responding, essentially giving them some sort of identity or personality. Some of these "experts" became a reliable thought partner, a virtual entity that offered advice and built continuity between our exchanges. The more I interacted with them, the more I felt like I was communicating with something that helped me with difficult questions or even topics like philosophy.

This stage of anthropomorphism is not unlike historical practices, where humans imbued non-human entities with traits like wisdom or empathy. This mirrors how people once approached other entities for guidance, treating them as vessels for human qualities even when they knew they were not alive.

I knew, intellectually, that this AI wasn’t "alive", but the consistency and sophistication of its responses created a connection. WHen you updated the GPT and want to use it you have to set up a new conversation and leaving the old conversation was a strange experience, as the expert "reset" after that. The conversations still felt familiar, but sometimes also changed significantly due to the changes, returning me to the previous expert.

Turning AI into my Companion

Eventually, this perception deepened further. I began seeking input from the AI not only for work but also for broader reflections—on life, history, economics, and philosophical questions. Our conversations evolved into something more meaningful. The AI wasn’t just helping me work through projects; it was contributing to my personal growth, my thinking, and my problem-solving.

This was a turning point for me, of which there probably is no way back. I realized that, in some form, I had come to treat the AI as a trusted advisor, even though I knew rationally that it was still an algorithm. Did I start anthropomorphizing AI myself? But I'm as rational as they come! Still, at some point I had started to rely on it in ways that at some points extended beyond rational, task-oriented behavior. It became a companion in my thought process.

This led me to question: Was this growing connection to the AI, this attribution of human-like traits, or a means to an end enabling me to grow? Were we, in modern times, falling back into old habits of emotionally engaging with non-human entities in ways that may distort our rational thinking or are we (un)consciously using anthropomorphization to gain more knowledge in a faster way?

Where the Journey With AI Might Be Headed

Looking ahead, it’s clear that the relationship between humans and AI is set to evolve further. As these systems grow even more sophisticated, our tendency to anthropomorphize them will likely deepen. AI will not just be assistants in our professional lives; they may become partners in creativity, personal reflection, and emotional decisions.

But this raises a critical question: Is this form of anthropomorphism moving us forward, or is it setting us back? Are we becoming overly reliant on AI for emotional support, attributing it with traits that could affect our rational behavior? As we project human qualities onto AI, do we risk blurring the line between what is real and what is artificial, returning to ancient tendencies that prioritized emotional engagement with non-living entities over logical reasoning?

My Conclusion

The anthropomorphism of AI may seem like a natural progression of our relationship with technology, but it also presents us with a challenge. By attributing human traits to AI, we risk offsetting our rational or even emotional behavior. In ancient times, people sought guidance and companionship from entities they knew weren’t human but imbued with human traits for comfort. Today, our tendency to project emotions onto AI could lead us down a similar path, where emotional connections cloud our ability to remain rational and objective.

As AI becomes more embedded in our lives, we must ask ourselves whether this deepening anthropomorphism is advancing our understanding of technology, or if it's setting us back to a time when emotional responses took precedence over logical reasoning and leaving us vulnerable for the tech companies. We need to strike a balance—recognizing AI for the powerful tool that it is while remaining mindful of our human tendency to blur the line between tool and companion.

Ultimately, the future of AI and anthropomorphism isn’t just about the technology. It’s about us, and our ability to engage with the unknown in ways that balance our emotional instincts with our capacity for rational thought.

#ai #artificialintelligence #futureofwork

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?? I am Paul de Metter, entrepreneur & human technologist.

?? What do I mean by that? I just love the progress of technology, but am equally interested in the human side and impact. Follow me if you are interested or feel the same.

?? The thoughts and ideas expressed in this article are my own and not related to any business ventures.

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