Does AI make better decisions than humans?

Hey there, your philosophy BFF here ??

Imagine a machine deciding who gets life-saving surgery in a split-second, armed with endless data and razor-sharp logic. No hesitation, no bias, no emotional baggage. Sounds like a dream... or does it? What do you think: does AI make better decisions than humans?

Well, it’s true that there are no existential crises or coffee breaks for our robot friends.

They’re brilliant at optimize outcomes by crunching numbers, without getting tired, distracted, or irrational. Some chatbots actually even give good moral advice (one could say better than some philosophers? ??). Have a look if you’re curious: petersinger.ai. But here’s the kicker, machines don’t actually “understand” morality. Why is that? Because they don’t feel empathy or anguish when making tough calls. They don’t lose sleep over the weight of their decisions. They don’t consider the messy, lived experiences of the people affected by them.

Take existentialists like Simone de Beauvoir (yes, we’re name-dropping).

They’d argue that morality is rooted in freedom and authenticity, every decision we make defines who we are and carries the weight of our responsibility to others. Machines? They don’t have freedom, they’re programmed. They don’t have authenticity, they’re mimicking patterns. They’re not moral agents, they’re tools.

But here’s where things get spicy.

AI can actually push us to think deeper about our own ethical frameworks. By exposing our biases and presenting alternative perspectives, it can sharpen our reasoning and force us to confront uncomfortable truths. For instance, Amazon’s AI recruiting tool 10 years ago was a fiasco but it helped everyone realize how deep recruiting biases are, and that was definitely a win to make us aware that we had to fight against them.

So maybe the question isn’t whether AI is “better” at morality but whether it challenges us to be better moral thinkers ourselves?

Should we trust AI with big decisions?

Maybe as collaborators, not captains of the ship. Machines might help us see clearer, but the messy beauty of morality, its empathy, its anguish, its humanity, is something only we can bring to the table. Or at least that’s my take… what’s yours?

Until next time, stay open to new perspectives so that you can better decide on your impact in the world.? Stay curious, stay critical, and keep questioning! I’ll catch you soon.??

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