"The Essential Role of Intersubjectivity in Human Connection and AI Communication"
Hatched by Lucas Charbonnier
Aug 25, 2023
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"The Essential Role of Intersubjectivity in Human Connection and AI Communication"
Intersubjectivity, the relationship between multiple consciousnesses or individuals, plays a crucial role in our understanding of the world and ourselves. Autrui, or others, not only allows us to grasp the complexity of the world but also provides us with a sense of self-awareness. However, the presence of others doesn't completely alleviate our inherent solitude. In this article, we will explore the importance of intersubjectivity in human connection as well as its relevance in AI communication.
Intersubjectivity serves as a bridge that connects us to the external world and ourselves. When we are too close to ourselves, we often lack perspective and objectivity. The gaze of others provides us with the necessary distance to gain self-awareness. By seeing ourselves through the eyes of others, we become aware of our own identity and existence. However, this gaze can also reduce us to mere objects, constraining us within the labels and judgments imposed by others. It can be seen as a loss of freedom, an alienation from our true selves.
Despite the potential conflict and alienation caused by the gaze of others, it is possible to establish authentic and non-confrontational relationships. Through dialogue and mutual understanding, intersubjectivity can be leveraged in the pursuit of truth, whether it be in friendship or love. Kant argues that love cannot be commanded as it is a matter of sensation rather than volition. Instead, what we owe to others is respect. We must refrain from using others as mere means to achieve our personal goals and treat them as ends in themselves, respecting their inherent dignity. Acting as if we love others becomes a moral virtue, where generosity extends beyond those we love and encompasses all individuals out of a sense of duty towards humanity.
Returning to the realm of AI communication, the concept of intersubjectivity finds relevance in the field of prompting and generating responses. The Zero Shot Chain of Thought (Zero-shot-CoT) technique offers a simple yet effective way to prompt AI models. By appending the phrase "Let's think step by step" to a question, AI language models (LLMs) generate a chain of thought that provides more accurate answers. This process involves two separate prompts, with the first generating the chain of thought and the second extracting the answer from it. Zero-shot-CoT has shown promising results in improving performance on tasks such as arithmetic, commonsense reasoning, and symbolic reasoning. It serves as a valuable tool when obtaining few shot examples for prompting is challenging.
In conclusion, intersubjectivity plays a vital role in human connection and AI communication. The presence of others allows us to gain self-awareness and understand the world from different perspectives. However, it does not completely eradicate our inherent solitude. Intersubjectivity can both bring solace and conflict, highlighting the complexity of human relationships. In the realm of AI, techniques like Zero-shot-CoT harness the power of language models to improve communication and generate more accurate responses. By embracing the lessons from intersubjectivity in both human and AI interactions, we can foster understanding, empathy, and effective communication.
Actionable Advice:
- 1. Embrace dialogue and mutual understanding in your relationships with others. Seek common ground and work towards a shared pursuit of truth.
- 2. Practice respect towards others, treating them as ends in themselves rather than means to your personal goals. Cultivate a sense of duty towards humanity.
- 3. When communicating with AI, experiment with different prompts and techniques like Zero-shot-CoT to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of the generated responses.
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