ChatGPT and the Metaphysics of Artificial Intelligence: Yuk Hui’s Ideas About the Future of Technology

Abstract

This article provides an analytical overview of the philosophical legacy of Yuk Hui, a prominent contemporary thinker whose ideas offer a critical perspective on the role of technology in a posthumanist society. By examining Hui’s body of work, the author identifies key themes and concepts that constitute his unique contribution to the philosophy of technology. Particular attention is paid to Hui’s concept of cosmotechnics, aimed at recognizing the importance of cultural diversity in shaping the future, and his critique of the imperial logic of technology, which seeks to unify and homogenize the world. Further, the article identifies the rationale behind Hui’s view on the prospects of technological homogenization and the loss of cultural diversity in the contemporary Western universalist technological project. Hui’s contribution to digital humanities, including his critical perspective on artificial intelligence and ChatGPT, is pointed out. The study analyses how, according to Hui, art and human imagination are capable of comprehending and reinterpreting technological changes, thereby offering alternative technological horizons. This paper is relevant due to the fact that although Hui is recognized globally, he currently lacks significant visibility in Russia. The aim of this article is to introduce the Russian audience to Hui’s ideas, since they may prove particularly important in the context of technological transformations and challenges facing this country. The results of the analysis demonstrate Hui’s contribution to contemporary intellectual discourse and outline promising areas of further research in the fields of the philosophy of technology and social sciences.