Oracle of Wisdom Journal of Philosophy and Public Affairs

The Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th century marked a major turning point in the history of the world. While it has been acclaimed to have brought about economic prosperity, it, regrettably, instituted capitalism, a system that is essentially alienating and exploitative. Mechanization of production forced vast population of handicraftsmen out of production while enthroning paid labour. The conditions of workers across Europe fueled Karl Marx's attack on capitalism with him proposing communism as a dialectical alternative. Marxism was yet to reach its peak when artificial intelligence that would not only help capitalists alienate and exploit workers but also cut them off from labour emerged. The worrisome implications of artificial intelligence for human existence resonates this philosophic exercise with the question of man's future without a place in the labour market. What is the future of man with the advancement in smart machines? Considering how it places man for exploitation, the question arises; is there a correlation between artificial intelligence and the theory of alienation construed by the German philosopher, Karl Marx? How can the challenges of artificial intelligence be balanced with human needs? What is the place of man in the new world of AI? Should man treat AI as part of the system or a means? Using the philosophical method of analysis, this research explains that, artificial intelligence if left unchecked will not just alienate man from labour but spells doom for humanity. The research recommends, therefore, that makers and scholars of AI must identify pathways for distributing the gains of Artificial Intelligence; it should also be regulated in such a way that it integrates human needs such that its operation will cease to be a threat to mankind. 

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