Can Intelligent User Interfaces Engage in Philosophical Discussions? A Longitudinal Study of Philosophers' Evolving Perceptions

TL;DR

This longitudinal study explores philosophy scholars' changing perceptions of AI-based IUIs in philosophical discussions, revealing initial resistance, eventual acceptance as tools, and later philosophical questioning of AI's capacity for genuine thought.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the evolving attitudes of philosophers towards AI IUIs over three years, combining qualitative and quantitative data.

Findings

Scholars recognize AI's proficiency in logic and knowledge reproduction.

Significant shortcomings in dialectical reasoning and originality are identified.

Participants view AI as a mirror that prompts reflection on human philosophical capacities.

Abstract

This study investigates the evolving attitudes of philosophy scholars towards the participation of generative AI based Intelligent User Interfaces (IUIs) in philosophical discourse. We conducted a three year (2023--2025) mixed methods longitudinal study with 16 philosophy scholars and students. Qualitative data from annual interviews reveal a three stage evolution in attitude: from initial resistance and unfamiliarity, to instrumental acceptance of the IUI as a tool, and finally to a deep principled questioning of the IUI's fundamental capacity for genuine philosophical thought. Quantitative data from blind assessments, where participants rated anonymized philosophical answers from both humans and an IUI, complement these findings. While participants acknowledged the IUI's proficiency in tasks requiring formal logic and knowledge reproduction, they consistently identified significant shortcomings in areas demanding dialectical reasoning, originality and embodied understanding. The study concludes that participants do not see the IUI as a peer but rather as a sophisticated mirror whose capabilities and limitations provoke a deeper reflection on the unique and irreplaceable human dimensions of philosophical inquiry, such as intuition, value laden commitment and the courage to question fundamental premises.