Culture | Johnson

Talking about AI in human terms is natural—but wrong

When it comes to artificial intelligence, metaphors are often misleading

A ghost coming out of a computer screen
Illustration: Nick Lowndes

MY LOVE’S LIKE a red, red rose. It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Life is a highway, I wanna ride it all night long. Metaphor is a powerful and wonderful tool. Explaining one thing in terms of another can be both illuminating and pleasurable, if the metaphor is apt.

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This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “The ghost in the AI machine”

From the June 24th 2023 edition

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