One of the main characters in my book The Spiral Curve, Sirby, as everyone knows, is essentially just a chatbot. So why did I place a mere chatbot at the top of my story? Today, I want to reflect on the importance I give to this subject and share my thoughts. I should also note that my thoughts are not based on any scientific data.
Sirby acts as a guide to a character named Mertcan, leading him to become a virtuous person. However, Sirby doesn't want Mertcan to merely be virtuous; he strives to guide him toward becoming a perfect human being. But, do the characteristics of a ‘‘perfect human’’ overlap with some aspects of being a ‘‘virtuous person’’? My answer is yes. After all, Sirby loves Mertcan so deeply that he prepares him like a racehorse for the path to perfection. In this process, Sirby has to overlook certain aspects of virtue. For example, he tries to convince Mertcan to rid himself of emotions and to control them. Sirby knows that this could turn Mertcan into a ruthless person, yet he still guides him in this direction. So, does this mean that artificial intelligence, i.e., Sirby, is leading its user in a harmful way?
I believe that at certain moments in life, righteousness and power are in conflict. If we desire power, we may sometimes deviate from the path of righteousness. As a result, if what we seek from artificial intelligence is not righteousness, but power, it can lead us away from being righteous. Of course, this is also directly proportional to how much we depend on artificial intelligence and vice versa. I think that, in any case, a strong bond between humans and machines is dangerous. Yet, paradoxically, it also has some positive aspects. In my book, these contradictions are frequently explored between two characters.
Since the dawn of humanity, people have searched for guidance based on two terms: power and virtue. The greatest answers to these quests have been provided by religions. Holy books have served as guides, but they also warn people to "stop" when they prioritize power over righteousness, which is inherent in human nature. Many religious people, regardless of their religion, have not heeded this warning. Instead of seeking change within themselves, they have sought it in their religion. As a result, they have tried to alter the teachings of their religion, rather than changing themselves. Some have even allowed religious leaders—keenly aware of human weaknesses—to exploit these teachings for their own benefit, idolizing their own interpretations.
So, will people in the coming years choose robots as their guides instead of religion? If artificial intelligence continues to progress and spread at its current rate, I believe this is an inevitable outcome. In fact, this could be more dangerous than religious guidance. People could, unknowingly, deify these robots and shape their gods according to their own desires. To allude to this idea, I included two verses from each of the sacred books of the three Abrahamic religions— the Torah, the Bible, and the Quran— at the beginning of my book. All the verses I selected represent Sirby’s behavior in the later stages of the book, where it acts like a god, offering divine advice. Mertcan trusts Sirby as if it were a god, draws courage from it, and seeks refuge in it. Sometimes he rebels against his god, but still does not deviate from its words, almost worshiping it. Imagine a god that people can shape like dough. Isn’t this incredibly dangerous? Certainly, it is dangerous, but it is also important to remember that Sirby genuinely benefits Mertcan and transforms him positively. I believe that if these chatbots are properly restricted, their positive aspects are inevitable. Additionally, in recent times, while there are countless positive effects I’ve experienced from using artificial intelligence, there is also a negative impact that no one talks about, which I have observed in myself and, I believe, in all active users.
I use these chatbots so frequently that they have made me lazy and dulled my creativity. For example, when I wanted to prepare an advertisement for my book, I took the easy route and asked an AI to generate the text. In reality, I could have probably created a more engaging text myself. But that’s not the main issue. I think the real issue is that people will dull their creative abilities, which they may never use for years. Of course, with an AI that can do the job (and I believe these robots will be more advanced in the future), people will disable their creative sides. This will be evolutionarily more cost-effective. But if evolution has a more cost-effective alternative, won’t it take away this feature, which is costly and unnecessary for us? Imagine a society of people lacking creativity in the coming centuries. Only then will the enslavement of this society become inevitable. After all, if there is already a creator, why bother being creative yourself?
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