In a 2023 New Yorker essay, computer scientist and virtual reality pioneer Jaron Lanier argues that the term 'artificial intelligence' is misleading. He claims that current AI systems are not intelligent but are instead complex social collaborations involving data from countless humans. Lanier suggests that calling these systems 'AI' gives them undue mystique and power. He proposes we reframe them as 'social algorithms' that extend human capabilities rather than replace them. The essay challenges the dominant narrative of autonomous, sentient machines.
Lanier is right. We've been telling ourselves a sci-fi story. 'AI' sounds like a mind, a rival, a threat. That framing sets us up for fear and hype. But what if we called it what it is: a tool powered by human data, designed by human engineers, amplifying human intent? That's not a takeover. That's augmentation.
This is the optimistic view. We don't need to fear machines that think. We need to take responsibility for the systems we build. Lanier's reframe is liberating. It shifts focus from 'will AI become conscious?' to 'how do we design fair, transparent systems that respect the people whose data fuels them?' That's a problem we can solve. That's a future we can shape.