In Search of Philosophical Sources of the Problem of Artificial Intelligence

Zbigniew ORBIK

Abstract

The aim of the article is to inquire into the philosophical origins of the idea of artificial intelligence. The author provides a review of the long process of developing ideas which have emerged in philosophical thought since antiquity and can be regarded as antecedents to the modern concept of artificial intelligence. Currently understood as a type of intelligence possessed by machines capable of stimulating human-specific thinking processes and, as a research area, considered as part of computer science and cognitive sciences, artificial intelligence has its source in philosophical reflection. Also, the concept of artificial intelligence poses numerous philosophical problems, which, for obvious reasons, were only mentioned in the article. They are issues that cover almost the entire cross-section of problems traditionally considered as philosophical and concern, among others, the structures of reasoning, the possibilities of their automation, the nature of cognitive processes, the possibilities of constructing formal languages or the ontological nature of mind. One of the most important question is that of consciousness. The article analyzes selected available literature on the history of artificial intelligence and its philosophical aspects. Apart from the literature review, the author uses the method of analysis and logical construction. The development of artificial intelligence also implies the need for further philosophical research on the nature of mind, the essence of consciousness, cognitive processes, and a vast range of emerging ethical issues. Philosophical reflection on artificial intelligence meets the ancient postulate of human self-knowledge.