Lest We Become Robot Souls
In a podcast interview, author and academic Eve Poole talks about taking her children to the beach and watching them dig holes and build castles in the sand, which children have done for thousands of years. She hears their laughter as the water comes swooshing over their feet. She begins to lament that such an activity may not continue in years to come because of artificial intelligence (AI) and the creation of robots—robots don’t need childhood.[1]
Eve Pool is a philosopher and ethicist focusing on leadership, ethics, and moral philosophy. Having received numerous awards and credentials, she is a leading expert on what it means to be human in a world striving to automate humanity.
“When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visited him? – Psalm 8:3-4[2]
The Bible says that God made humans in His image and that every soul has worth and a purpose. Man’s quest to perfect itself is nothing new and has been around for years. Hitler’s pursuit of the perfect Aryan race led to policies that persecuted and exterminated people he considered to be inferior.[3] Eugenics was practiced in the U.S. during the 1930s through forced sterilizations and restrictive immigration and marriage policies.[4] While no federal law prevents these practices, many states have enacted policies to eliminate them. Still, the legacy of eugenics continues to shape conversations about ethics, genetics, and personal rights.[5]
Part of being human involves having a conscience and a learned set of guiding ethics, which Poole contends are lacking in AI programming. This gap is the crux of the thesis in her book Robot Souls: “Because consciousness without a conscience is a psychopath.”[6] She refers to a key concept throughout the text: “junk codes.” “In computer programming, junk code is redundant code that could be deleted or rewritten in shorter syntax without affecting the executions of the program.”[7] However, in humans, it is what “Makes us human and promotes the kind of reciprocal altruism that keeps humanity alive and thriving.”[8] For Poole, junk code includes things such as emotions, our ability to make mistakes and learn from them over time—or not, the powerful ability to relate through storytelling, intuition, the means to cope with uncertainty, and the use of free will to shape ourselves to create purpose in the world around us.
I spoke last night with a friend who teaches science and engineering at a local community college. She doesn’t see AI as a threat to humanity, believing it will never perform tasks related to human consciousness. She called it a glorified database to find keywords and play games like chess. Another friend argued that current developments aren’t true AI until they can learn and create new information as humans do.
I believe AI will eventually be able to perform logical tasks, but humans will still need to interpret and verify its accuracy in areas like medical scans. However, machine learning may surpass human intelligence in fields such as military intervention, posing potential safety risks. In all cases, AI will lack the intrinsic nuances of personhood that Poole discusses in her book.
While I cannot control the development of AI, I can continue to promote the growth of qualities that make us better humans, many of which are fostered through the character development and critical thinking of a liberal arts education. Liberal arts, encompassing humanities, religion, arts, and sciences, also includes leadership development, which is gaining ground in U.S. universities. Still, while leadership programs are growing, liberal studies courses are being reduced or eliminated, replaced by the rising demand for STEM education as technology becomes more integrated into daily life and workplaces, especially as companies automate to cut labor costs and boost profits.
There is much to be said on the subject; however, I defer to the argument favoring liberal studies made by Patrick Deneen in his book Why Liberalism Failed. He contends, “In the absence of a persuasive counternarrative, students, parents, and administrators believe that the best route to achieving the liberal conception of freedom is not in the humanities but elsewhere. However, the humanities of the old would be able to muster a powerful argument against [consumerism, which leads to] the end path of liberation and ultimately enslavement.”[9] I propose that schools and corporate America begin to reduce their focus on STEM education and reinvigorate the liberal arts and humanities. Reprioritize the cultivation of junk code found in humanities, emotional intelligence, free will, critical thinking, ethics, and more. Lest we, too, become robot souls.
[1] Poole, Eve. “What Is Distinctive About Being Human?” Video. Examined Life Podcast. Last modified June 6, 2024. Accessed January 11, 2025. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW4X-VBC5e8.
[2] “Bible Gateway Passage: Psalm 8:3-4 – New King James Version.” Bible Gateway. Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%208%3A3-4&version=NKJV.
[3] Arendt, Hannah. The Origins of Totalitarianism. First Mariner Classics edition. New York: Mariner Classics, 2024.
[4] Black, Edwin. War against the Weak: Eugenics and America’s Campaign to Create a Master Race. 2. paperback ed., Expanded ed. Washington, DC: Dialog Press, 2012.
[5] “The Eugenics Crusade | American Experience | PBS.” Accessed January 12, 2025. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/eugenics-crusade/.
[6] Poole, Eve. Robot Souls: Programming in Humanity. First edition. Boca Raton London New York: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group, 2024. P. 103
[7] Ibid. P.74.
[8] Ibid. P.i
[9] Deneen, Patrick J., James Davison Hunter, and John M. Owen. Why Liberalism Failed. Paperback edition. New Haven London: Yale University Press, 2018. P.125.
About the Author
Jennifer Eckert
Fundraising director, people connector, believer in second chances, fights poverty, supports justice reform, lives a life integrated with Matthew 25.11 responses to “Lest We Become Robot Souls”
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Great post Jennifer. I appreciate this. I agree that the need for critical thinking is high. How do we foster this outside of the educational setting as well? What could our homes and churches do?
Thanks, Ryan. The biggest hurdle I see is that outside of academia, at least in my circle, people are not talking about artificial intelligence. There may be a few conversations happening here and there in a kitchen corner at the church, but I think folks are still trying to understand what it is, and as a result, mum is the word. I think prompting questions that nudge people to think and discuss could not only be a fun, casual engagement tool, but could help learning at a very “first step” level. Just to acknowlede it – that would be a good first step.
Jennifer,
Good job. I appreciate the focus on the junk-code part of the book. If we were to decrease the STEM classes and increase the humanities what do you think would change? Obviously, change takes time and it is the STEM aspect of education that is leading the way for robotics and AI. So, do you think that the mass amount of engineers we are producing should have more well-rounded education?
I absolutely think there is plenty of room for STEM learners to have a more holistic education that includes a greater focus on humanities. I believe that middle ground is where we will find balance in critical thinking skills that incorporate data and logistics along with empathy and stronger communication skills.
The suggestion also goes in reverse for people like me who were immersed in a liberal arts college education. I need to do a better job of learning the values and communication styles of STEM leaders so I can be effective in future years.
Jennifer,
I appreciate your post and comments on Liberal Arts education. That was the focus on my post last week as our institution has cut courses causing our faculty to ask if we are really a liberal arts institution. You closed by writing “I propose that schools and corporate America begin to reduce their focus on STEM education and reinvigorate the liberal arts and humanities. Reprioritize the cultivation of junk code found in humanities, emotional intelligence, free will, critical thinking, ethics, and more. Lest we, too, become robot souls.” How realistic is this given our push for wealth? Many of the liberal arts and humanities do not necessarily make a lot of money.
Probably not very realistic, Jeff. Money talks. It has always had the loudest voice, even over ethics, dignity, self-actualization, openness, etc.
I do believe finding middle ground between STEM education coupled with liberal arts (to include character development) is possible, and would be the ideal place to land.
I am a liberal arts student, which means the STEM world often feels foreign to my language and values. However, I understand the need for advancement in that field. But the reverse is also true – STEM educators should want their students to think more critically than the walls of science and technology. They should “play the movie reel forward” to see what gaps are forming today as a result of the cultural shift in academia, and strive to fill that ecological gap now proactively. Just my .02.
Hi Jennifer, I appreciated how you highlighted conscience and learned ethics as part of being human. I was also thinking about Duckworth’s “Grit” and wondering how passion and perseverance could ever be programmed into AI. It’s so uniquely human. This doesn’t need to be answered; it’s just a thought. Robot Souls left me with many questions and an appreciation for being human.
I’d like to know what kind of artificial intelligence is used in the prison system. Have you noticed any technological changes since starting your work?
Thank you, Elysse. I think a lot about ethics and character, more now than ever before. You asked about the types of AI are U.S. prisons using.
What I have seen are tools like facial recognition technology, sometimes predictive analytics methods are used to assess someone’s risk and behaviors. I think some facilities have audio surveillance, but honestly, most prisons are so under funded and under staffed, there isn’t much room to add new technologies. Many prisons operate in deeply antiquated ways, which is a major safety concern for everyone involved. However, there is a lot of effort being made to change prison culture to a more rehabilitative environment than the punitive culture that has been in place for so long.
Thanks for asking!
Hi Jennifer, I appreciate your thoughtfulness as you grappled with where AI may be going. More importantly, I like how you chose to respond by calling on humans to keep the humanities and reduce the push for STEM courses. Personally, I’d like for both disciplines to be offered. Yet money drives so much. How do schools navigate this when regulations are eliminating funding in so many places?
Thanks, Diane. I think the bigger question is how do we recreate value in the humanities in such a way that is evolved to match the forthcoming society? How do we convince people they need skills in principles such as openness, dignity, self-actualization or in the character traits learned through humanities such as honesty, integrity, grit, etc. I’m not sure of the answer other than society will know it needs it once it recognizes the absence of those things. Only then will there be a push to fold those things back into everyday learning inside and outside classrooms.
Jennifer, I appreciate how you draw our attention to the educational considerations. If ‘junk code’ such as emotions, storytelling, and free will are central to what makes us human, how should educators and leaders balance the growing demand for STEM education with the need to cultivate these uniquely human traits through the liberal arts? What role might these ‘junk codes’ play in shaping our ethical engagement with AI, particularly in areas like leadership and decision-making?