ENGULFING PRESENCE OF ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE - Philosophical Reflections on its Challenges and Opportunities is a collection of papers, presented at the National Research Seminar on Artificial Intelligence, organized by the Association of Christian Philosophers of India (ACPI), in October 2023. In our ultramodern times, AI has become a very powerful force to be reckoned with. With the bloom of AI, affecting every sphere of our lives, it is feared that human beings are gradually getting mechanized. With such danger of mechanization, the very human existence is questioned. This volume takes a critical look at various dimensions of AI. It sincerely urges all the stake-holders - scientists, environmentalists, social activists, politicians, lawmakers, economists, philosophers, theologians, and all people of good will - of this multidimensional enterprise of AI, to come together to collectively and responsibly reflect upon the future course of actions of, and for, AI technologies. It explains how at every stage of AI’s development; moral values of human dignity & identity, holistic welfare of Nature, including plants, insects & animals, and the concern for the present & future generations must be given utmost importance.

Contents

Foreword: Humans’ Tryst with AI
                 Prajit K. Basu

Editorial Introduction: AI: How Far Is It Artificial & Intelligent?
                                    Stephen S. Jayard

Part I: Philosophical Reflections

1. Artificial Intelligence and the New World Order
    Francis Arackal Thummy

2. Panikkar’s Critique on Technocratic Civilization and Artificial Intelligence
    K. Maria Delasal Viswas

3. Mind, Consciousness & Ai: Indian Philosophical Perspectives
    Ivan D’Souza

4. Contemporary Indian Responses to Artificial Intelligence
    Raju Felix Crasta

5. Can Artificial Intelligence Read in-Between the Lines? Philosophy of Science Perspectives on the Language of AI
    Stephen S. Jayard

Part II: Ethical Considerations

6. The Ethics of Big Data
    Nishant A. Irudayadason

7. Ai and Human Enhancement: An Ethical Appraisal
    Arnald Mahesh Irudhayadhason

8. AI and Ethics: Yuval Noah Harari’s Understanding of the Future of Humanity with Artificial Intelligence
    Kuruvilla Pandikattu

9. Can We Consider Nature as a Scientific “Object”?
    Dolreich Pereira

10. Making Friends with Machines: Possibilities and Limitations of Human-Humanoid Friendship
      Keith D’Souza

Part III: Psycho-Spiritual Deliberations

11. The Process of Depersonalization: A Prelude to Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence…?
      Johnson J. Puthenpurackal

12. Congeniality of Personhood in Artificial Intelligence
      Jacob Palaparambil

13. From the Perspective of Spiritual Immortality to Digital Immortality
     George Panthanmackel

14. Artificial Intelligence and Free Will
      Joy Alumkal

15. Human Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence: Delibrations on Superiority and Complementarity
      Sunil Jose

Part IV: Socio-Political Implications

16. Surveillance Capitalism: Negations and Interrogations
      Jose D. Maliekal

17. Artificial Intelligence and Human Labour: Hope for Efficiency Verses Fear of Loss
      John Peter Vallabadoss

18. Societies of Control
      Victor Ferrao

19. Social Media and Artificial Intelligence
      Biju Rockey Pallippadan

20. Artificial Intelligence, Self-Respect and Democracy: A Rawlsian Analysis
      Jeff Shawn Jose

Statement of the ACPI
Contributors
Index
ACPI Publications

Stephen S. Jayard (sjayard@jdv.edu.in / sjayard@gmail.com) is a professor of Philosophy and the Director of Jnana Deepa Centre for Science and Religion, at Jnana Deepa (Papal Athenaeum), Pune; has qualified NET of the UGC; was awarded JRF by ICPR and merit scholarship by the Central University, Hyderabad, from where he obtained his doctorate in Philosophy of Science; had his post doctoral research at the Lonergan Institutes in Washington DC & Boston USA and the University of Toronto, Canada; has been a visiting faculty at Sogang University, South Korea, International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad, and Symbiosis Liberal School of Arts, Pune; a member in the syllabus Review Committee and the Centre for Quality Assurance, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka; has published several articles and books including, Towards a Theory of Rationality in Science – A Plea for Reasonableness and Can We Ever Know How Much We Don’t Know? - Philosophical Reflections on Science, Spirituality, Wisdom and Ignorance; has presented several research papers; teaches at several Institutes in India and University of Jaffna and conducts seminars and retreats in India and abroad.