Mirrors of change: AI as a reflection of our society

“AI functions as a mirror of our society,”

Quotes Sennay Ghebreab, Professor of Socially Intelligent AI at the University of Amsterdam. This observation touches upon the core of how we should view modern technology, particularly AI. The comparison between mirrors and AI works because there are many similarities in how they developed and the narratives surrounding them

In the 11th century, craftsmen faced a unique “technological” challenge: creating ‘the perfect mirror.’ What began as a technical question in medieval workshops grew into a social revolution. In monasteries and workshops from Portugal to the Alps, technicians collaborated on this challenge. The invention of a glass silvering production process in Venice brought this ‘perfect mirror’ one step closer.

These glass mirrors were initially only accessible to the wealthiest. A countess even traded an entire grain farm for one Venetian mirror. When the production process became cheaper and mirrors became available to the general public, it became a powerful instrument for social change. Polished metal mirrors reflected only 20% of light, while most people in the Middle Ages could only vaguely see their face in a puddle of water. With the advent of affordable glass mirrors, people could for the first time clearly observe…