There is a quote by Audre Lorde that has been living in my head rent free since it was first introduced to me.
For the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house. They may allow us temporarily to beat him at his own game, but they will never enable us to bring about genuine change.
Now, as someone on the spectrum, I took it at face value. I understood it to mean that whatever was produced under a capitalist system would be ineffective or not beneficial to the dismantling of capitalism.
Because I'm someone whose whole life has centered around technology, a contradiction arose. I believe that technology has the ability to benefit humankind for the better. I, also, recognize that, in the wrong hands, tech can heave devastating consequences that we cannot take back or ignore.
I've tried to walk a tight rope between what could help and what could hurt. It's why I focus on free, libre, and open source software as much as I can. I champion user choice and freedom. The ability for the user or the collective to be able to control their data. I go into detail about it here.
But one thing has stopped me dead in my tracks. Just when I think I've taken a position on it, more information and points of view from various people come in. And I don't mean from random people with opinions on the internet. I'm talking about leaders in various fields that have takes in this technology.
Of course, I'm talking about Artificial Intelligence.
To start off, let's get one thing squared away. This technology is not intelligent. Far from it! If anything, it is really god at predicting what should happen based on very complex math problems. But it does not think. This technology should not be used to replace humans where actual thoughts and considerations are needed. It is merely another tool.
And this is where Audre Lorde comes back into play. The quote in isolation along with public sentiment around the introduction and growth of generative AI has been a driving force for my approach to the tech in general. To be fair, my views on AI have evolved over time and it has been quite the roller coaster ride. As an otside observer, I'd say I was flip-flopping all over the place.
But that's the beauty of taking in new information. It helps mold and shape your thoughts and ideas and how you interact and influence the world around you. It helps to reconcile the contradictions in you and society to figure out a way forward. This, for fear of giving a written lecture, is historical and dialectical materialism.
Going back to the quote, I realized I was reading and interpreting it in a literal sense. I was taking the quote out of context. Lorde wasn't saying "tools" like hammers and nails, iPhones and social media. She was saying "tools" like racism, homophobia, bigotry, etc. I lacked the historical context that informs the reader about what the quote is actually about.
Then, there are the contradictions of the tech. We fear AI because of the havoc its wrought. But I'd aruge that we would have the same fear for cars, computers, AC, or the internet. Even the compass. We use a compass to find our way when we're lost. However, the compass was also used to guide European settlers to the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Therein lies a contradiction.
The way we get past this is by breaking ti down and realizing who is in control of the technology being used.
The capitalists were in control of the compass that led to colonization.
The capitalists were in control of the car which led to less walkable cities.
The capitalists were in control of computers which automated us out of work.
The capitalists were in control of the internet that led to the spread of false information.
The capitalists are in control of AI to steal the works we created and replace the workforce.
The capitalists are in control!
Essentially, because of the capitalist ruling class and their iron grip on the literal tools, we begin to resist those very same tools.
Now, this isn't a blanket endorsement of generative AI. It's more of an acknowledgement of why it's shit. The way it is produced and used is only beneficial to the ruling class. It is up to the people to figure out how we can not only utilize but also produce more sustainable tools that will make life fruitful and more sustainable for the people.
All of that to say, I think I'll still be using some of the master's tools.