Metaphors of the digital age and the Black Box Problem

Abstract

The article discusses the effects of the digital era, the driver of which is AI. The main goal is to fo­cus on the Black Box Problem, “opacity of AI” and the possibility of Malicious Use of Artificial In­telligence. Three interconnected directions are interfaced. Firstly, in the context of the analysis of the digital age, the potential of metaphors is used, which makes it possible to describe digital trans­formations figuratively. Secondly, due to the growing demand for high technologies, the negative consequences of using AI are considered and a number of paradoxes of scientific and technological progress are formulated. Thirdly, the article examines the widespread practice of trust in intelligent systems, as well as the prospects for technological symbiosis. The analysis is based on the Russian and English-language literature. The author analyzes metaphors that indicate the type of modern existence – “face-to-screen” or “face-to-device” (1); features of the subject of the digital age – “content viewer” (2); the specifics of digital rationality – “knowledge rent”, digital multitasking (3). Attention is drawn to the process of “convergence of subjectivity”. The issue of malicious use of AI is discussed. The author draws conclusions about the need for “algorithmic responsibility” and expanding the field of reflective analysis aimed at studying the consequences of using AI.