"Part of what's happening as we develop artificial intelligence (AI) is that we have to think about what we count as intelligence", and therefore we also have to think "about what it means to be human", said the researcher in an interview with Lusa about the launch in Portugal of the book "A Life Worth Living", which he co-authored.

The theology professor admitted that, although it does not surprise him, he is concerned that the intelligence that is being designed is "what is philosophically called instrumental reason, an intelligence that only knows how to think about the means and not about the ends".

This is the reason for many of the concerns about artificial intelligence, which "can far surpass" human intelligence.

For Croasmun, this technology "could end up destroying the world more or less by accident, because it does not know how to think about the consequences of its actions. It knows how to think about the best way to get from point A to point B, but it does not know which point B is worth reaching".

The researcher, who leads a course on the meaning of life inspired by the teachings of philosophers and historical spiritual leaders, associates this form of intelligence with that of the human being, who over the centuries has become "increasingly better at thinking about the means and less and less prepared to think about the ends".

"We are better at thinking about how to achieve our goals, but we have forgotten a lot about what it means to choose the right goals. And when we set out to design an artificial intelligence, we are left with only the most extreme version of this defect that we have", he said.

Despite this, Croasmun believes that it is possible to take advantage of the opportunity to design artificial intelligences that enrich the world instead of putting it in danger and that help human beings to "rediscover and value parts of themselves that they have left dormant for too long".

"It would be desirable for me if this whole AI project would call our attention back to the kind of intelligence, and more than intelligence to the kind of wisdom, that we value as a species", he said.

For the thinker, it would be "a good result of the current societal moment" if humanity redoubled its efforts "to cultivate a kind of human wisdom".

The book "A Life Worth Living", by Matthew Croasmun, Miroslav Volf and Ryan McAnnally-Linz and published by Planeta, is based on the course 'Life Worth Living' led by Croasmun and offers starting points, roadmaps and habits of reflection about the meaning of life, helping readers to understand what makes life truly worth living.

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