Extract
[...] How to preserve critical thinking and freedom of thought in the face of AI, the prevalence of social networks, and the risks of manipulation? Subject: Critical thinking, freedom of thought in the face of AI, the prevalence of social networks, and the risks of manipulation Digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence have now found their place in almost all public and private domains. For the ethical evaluation of these developments and their use in different fields, it is necessary to understand not only the technologies but also their interactions with individuals who use them or are affected by their application. [...]
[...] Our constant profiling and 'tailor-made' personalization of the information we receive from social networks inevitably influences our decisions and behaviors, our way of thinking, of criticizing, particularly at the political level, where, in certain circumstances, they extremize and polarize them, giving rise to populist comments, also reducing the possibility for individuals to confront other discordant opinions and to update and expand their social links since they lead them to gravitate around others who have similar ideological opinions and thoughts10 (Neihouser et al. 2022). In this reflection, it is therefore possible to account for the power, both of AI tools and social networks, on the way to think about free thinking, notably by the technologies that have favored the profiling of individuals according to their interests. But this is not without consequences, particularly on education. For example, if'pressing teachers to conform to data-driven decision-making, which could lead to less emphasis on holistic student development.11 (Amadieu, Tricot, 2020). [...]
[...] The last question here is what needs to be done to ensure the freedom of action of students and teachers since the powerful technologies that support AI are becoming increasingly usable, whether in the classroom or in the private sphere. [...]
[...] A confidentiality in question that can be correlated with the algorithms at the heart of the functioning of social networks and media. In order to better understand, we must recall that newspapers, television programs of confrontation and debate, radios, since their creation, have represented the main means of information dissemination, the most direct and fastest available means to persuade and convince theelectoral communitiesor more generally individuals (Lazar, 2003)7. However, over the past few years, these have undergone a rapid occultation by thesocial networkswhich have imposed themselves as the main information channels and preferred for most individuals in the world, replacing all types of paper-based conversation and comparison or diffusion8 (Gozlan, 2022). [...]
[...] It is for this reason that it seems judicious to appreciate the relationship between critical thinking, the freedom to think in the face of the prevalence of AI and social networks that can have an impact on a certain manipulation of minds. Understanding AI and its tools, as well as social networks, inevitably means considering any potential impact of these tools as having both positive and negative effects. For example, technologies that support AI can perform repetitive tasks, allowing individuals to focus on the most creative aspects of their work, enabling them to decide how to allocate their time and efforts, thus enhancing their free will.3 (Ferguson, 2019). [...]
