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Saturday, March 8, 2025

The Hermeneutic Turn of AI: Are Machines Capable of Interpreting?

Demichelis, R. (2024, November 19).
arXiv.org.

This article aims to demonstrate how the approach to computing is being disrupted by deep learning (artificial neural networks), not only in terms of techniques but also in our interactions with machines. It also addresses the philosophical tradition of hermeneutics (Don Ihde, Wilhelm Dilthey) to highlight a parallel with this movement and to demystify the idea of human-like AI.


Here are some thoughts:

This paper examines how modern AI systems, like ChatGPT, have evolved from simply executing commands to interpreting ambiguous human language. The paper draws on the tradition of hermeneutics to argue that while AI can mimic interpretation through data processing, it lacks the genuine understanding and imaginative insight characteristic of human cognition. This mechanical approximation of interpretation raises important concerns regarding transparency, bias, and ethical oversight, prompting a reevaluation of how we define knowledge and meaning in the age of AI.