Imagine having an invisible assistant that constantly filters, organizes and presents information to make it easier to understand and use. This assistant not only provides data, but also pre-processes it based on our preferences and needs. However, we are the ones who must ultimately make the decision
The prestigious scientific journal Nature has just published an article entitled “The Case of Human-Artificial Intelligence (AI) Interaction, Thinking System 0”. The author, together with a team of researchers (Marianna Ganapini, Enrico Panai, Mario Ubiali), are among the authors who address the complex topic of the human-AI relationship, using a multidisciplinary perspective. The article proposes a new theory of how artificial intelligence is changing the way we think and make decisions. The interaction between humans and advanced AI systems is creating a new cognitive system, which we are calling “System 0”. To understand the concept of System 0, it is useful to take a step back and recall the theory of two systems of the thought proposed by Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman. According to Kahneman, people use two different cognitive systems to make decisions and deal with problems: System 1, characterized by fast, intuitive, and automatic thinking, and System 2, which represents slower thinking. , analytical and reflective.
System 0 refers to the ability of AI to perform complex cognitive tasks autonomously and independently of our biological mind. These tasks include managing large amounts of data, processing information, and making algorithmic decisions or suggestions. However, unlike System 1 and System 2 which are “flesh and blood”, System 0 is external to our body, it is inorganic and has no internal ability to make sense of the information it processes. This means that AI can analyze and generate responses without actually understanding the content it is working with, leaving humans with the task of interpreting and attributing meaning to the results obtained.
This level of human-AI interaction is seen as a foundation upon which intuitive (System 1) and analytical (System 2) thinking is based. In other words, System 0 provides humans with cognitive support that processes information more efficiently, but still requires human intervention for interpretation and final decision.
Imagine having an invisible assistant that constantly filters, organizes and presents information to make it easier to understand and use. This assistant not only provides data, but also pre-processes it based on our preferences and needs.
However, we are the ones who must ultimately make the decision. The danger is that we passively accept the results produced by AI, without questioning them, thus leading to an erosion of our personal reasoning abilities. Another issue concerns transparency and trust: how can we be sure that AI systems are reliable, free from bias and able to provide accurate information? To date, we have no certainty, moreover, the increasing integration of synthetic data (not collected directly from reality) risks changing our perception and understanding of the world. This can negatively affect decision-making processes, especially in contexts where the accuracy of information is essential.
