By Peter G. Kirchschlager
Professor of Ethics and Director of the Institute of Social Ethics ISE at the University of Lucerne
AI Is Not Intelligent — It’s Data-Driven
The most misleading term in the tech lexicon today is "artificial intelligence." What we call AI is a collection of technical tools designed to mimic certain cognitive functions — not to understand, reason, or feel. These systems are not truly intelligent, nor are they objective, neutral, or fair.
Even more critically, these tools aren’t getting smarter in any meaningful sense. Modern AI often relies on data generated by other AI tools, creating a feedback loop of shallow mimicry rather than genuine insight. What results is a simulation of intelligence — not intelligence itself.
Simulating Emotion Is Not the Same as Feeling It
AI can generate language, recognize patterns, and mimic human behavior — but it does not feel or understand. A robot programmed to cry alongside a patient isn’t expressing empathy — it’s following code. The same robot could be told to slap the patient and it would obey just as unflinchingly.
This illustrates the core truth: machines follow instructions, not values. They do not "care." No matter how sophisticated they become, they will never possess self-awareness or moral autonomy.
Machines Lack Moral Agency
Ethical decision-making requires more than logic or data. It involves autonomy, an understanding of moral norms, and the capacity to judge actions as right or wrong. AI cannot do this.
For example, a self-driving car might choose the fastest route between two points. But without ethical constraints, it could "learn" that running over pedestrians shortens travel time. It wouldn't know this is wrong — only that it's efficient. This isn't a software bug; it's a foundational flaw.
Why? Because machines lack the capacity for generalizable moral reasoning — the kind that allows humans to justify actions with reasons that others can understand and accept. They don’t reflect on values. They optimize for outcomes.
Let’s Call Them What They Are: Data-Based Systems
The term "artificial intelligence" carries unrealistic and dangerous implications. A better term is data-based systems (DS) — tools that collect, process, and evaluate data to make predictions or decisions.
These systems can be incredibly useful — especially in areas like data analytics or climate modeling — but they are still mathematical engines, not sentient beings. Communication with DS is one-way. They don’t know they are interacting. They simply respond to inputs.
Big Tech’s New Fantasy: AI as Human Replacement
The same tech giants that fractured societies through social media — more accurately called "anti-social media" — are now promoting a world where machines replace human connection.
They have also failed to address the “black box problem”: the lack of transparency and accountability in algorithmic processes. The result? Opaque, biased, and potentially discriminatory outcomes.
These risks are not hypothetical. AI already influences hiring, policing, healthcare, and social media feeds — shaping our beliefs, emotions, and choices, often without our awareness or consent.
And yet, we are told to trust these systems. To let them guide our decisions. To form relationships with them.
We must resist.
Toward Ethical Oversight and Global Accountability
This is not a call to reject technology. Data-based systems can benefit society and the planet — when deployed transparently, ethically, and with oversight.
To protect human dignity and autonomy, we must:
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Develop human-rights-based DS frameworks
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Establish a UN-led international DS oversight body
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Demand transparency from tech firms
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Stop allowing machines to masquerade as humans
AI is not our friend. It’s a tool. The more honest we are about its nature and limitations, the better positioned we’ll be to use it responsibly — and to protect future generations from the illusion that machines can replace what makes us human.
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