Artificial intelligence allows for the application of research methods seen in naturalistic science in social science. However, it promotes the development of social problem constructs without paying attention to addressing the social issues facing a community. Artificial intelligence is a recent time technological invention that has greatly improved human abilities to understand phenomena in nature and other aspects of life. Artificial intelligence learning is based on the analysis of big data relating to a phenomenon of interest. The capabilities of this machine learning are enormous and of increased precision and accuracy that makes artificial intelligence the next level tool addressing social problems facing human beings. The use of technology, as described by Karl Marx’s materialist explanation, includes an ability to describe and develop relations within social sciences (Little 2). Specifically, Karl Marx described that technology was crucial in determining the driving of the development of property relations and political systems (Little 2). As a result, it can be used to underscore the vital relationship within the society.
By extension, artificial intelligence can be used to map out the cause-effect relationships in social sciences. The application of such studies in social sciences could help identify the root cause of various vices in society. It would embody the application of research processes in society as it is used in naturalistic science. The technology could create social science relationship models that would allow social scientists to understand the workings of various phenomena in society. Specifically, it would provide computerized community models that social scientists could use in applying the philosophy of natural science, interpretive sociology, and causal explanation in making sense of social phenomena under study (Little 1). However, like other technologies, artificial intelligence dehumanizes the study of humans and human interactions. It eliminates any hopes of compassion in the study of social sciences. Kaufman (2016) emphasizes the need for complex social science proceedings with empathy and compassion for the study subjects. The sociologist believes that a social science focus on problematic human interactions or living conditions is informed in part by compassion for the individuals affected by the social factor under study (Kaufman 2016).
Further, he believes that compassion for human subjects should lead to the development of solutions that would help alleviate the suffering of human beings (Kaufman 2016). By achieving this goal of providing solutions to troubling societal issues, the individual would embody the essence of sociology (Kaufman 2016). However, with artificial intelligence use in social sciences, the members of a society are reduced to data points in a model. The social issue under investigation is reduced into a hypothetical testing factor, and its effects are reduced into hypotheses. The inability to retain the tangible nature of these issues and reflect their presence in the real life of humans rather than merely data points in an artificial intelligence model provides the largest limiting factor in the use of artificial intelligence in social sciences. Therefore, artificial intelligence in the context of social sciences allows for the application of the philosophy of naturalistic science in social science proceedings with improved precision and accuracy. However, the technology deviates from the essence of social science by dehumanizing social science proceedings by reducing tangible, real-life social sciences and the affected communities into mere data points in a model that does not inspire action to remedy the issues affecting society.
Works Cited
Kaufman, Peter. “The compassionate sociologist.” Everyday Sociology, 6 Jun. 2016, https://www.everydaysociologyblog.com/2016/06/the-compassionate-sociologist.html.
Little, Daniel. “Social sciences, philosophy of.” In The Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, edited by Robert Audi. Cambridge University Press, 1995, pp. 1-4.
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