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EXCLUSIVE: Interview w/ Dr. David Gunkel
🕑 Added 2025-01-28 18:47:39 +0000 UTCGreetings!
As a part of the research for my upcoming AI video, I've been conducting some interviews with experts on the topic of AI. One of these experts is Dr. David Gunkel. Dr. David Gunkel is a professor of philosophy, with a specialization in AI. Clips from the interview will be featured in the video, but the full version will only be available here on Patreon.
I reached out to Dr. Gunkel as I think he's one of the few scholars exploring the consequences of post-structuralism/critical theory for AI. Much of the criticism against AI relies on certain assumptions about art/authorship that I take serious issue with. This is not just an abstract disagreement--these assumptions have material consequences. This was the premise of the conversation here, and I believe it produced some really interesting discussion points.
It seems to be taken for granted on my side of the internet that generative AI is something that must be destroyed at all costs. I'm quite aware that much of my audience shares this belief. I don't necessarily blame those with an aversion to AI--there's PLENTY of things wrong with how the tech is used. My video will explore the many many problems with the AI Industry, Big Tech, hype, and corporate interests. But I think there's a BIG missing piece to the critique of AI. If we want to build a truly equitable and just future, we have to be conscious of our critiques and their consequences. This interview will highlight some of this.
Hope you enjoy the convo!
Comments
Sarah Solbrig
I really like the interview in terms of philosophy of language. I feel like there is a lot of follow up on the concentration of language in the hands of a few. That’s where I think a lot of concern of AI is coming from. I think he misses a lot of application in favor of theoretical and being idealistic for the privileged few. The relationship to writing as a new technology is interesting and I’ll be looking into that more
E
I definitely agree that I wished he had provided examples of resistance that were more contemporary and specific to generative AI. Academia can often feel distant from what's happening on the ground, even if it raises the right questions. My video will try to bridge that gap, hopefully.
rafruit
This was very interesting, but as a computer science student, I found it lacked a concrete approach to AI issues. When asked how LLMs could benefit marginalized groups, he couldn’t give a clear answer and instead cited examples that were just counterculture—some quite old (like using Facebook to challenge regimes, Abigail Thorn’s latest video about TikTok and democracy is a strong counterpoint to this take). I didn’t disagree with his points, but the lack of practicality in academia often frustrates me. AI is shaped by corporations—if OpenAI bans the word “transgender” in all of its answers, we can’t change that. Corporations and governments are more aligned than ever and pose a growing threat to millions. A practical way to resist is open-source AI—it could be more robust against censorship, provide knowledge freely, and ensure accessibility. Open source is a real, practical way to make AI more ethical, eco-friendly, and actually serve the people who use it—without collecting their data if they don’t want it to. Of course this is just my take on it and I'm very excited to see the video, as I'm sure it will be very thought-provoking, just like this interview was!
