Normative and Ethical Dimensions of Generative AI. From Epistemological Considerations to Societal Implications

Gen AI raises numerous challenges that can be examined according to a normative and epistemological approach. The former, increasingly adopted by European institutions, identifies the pros and cons of technological advancement. In relation to Gen AI, the main pros concern technological innovation, economic development, and the achievement of social goals and values. The disadvantages mainly concern cases of abuse, use, or underuse of Gen AI. The latter investigates how Gen AI produces data, information, and pieces of knowledge in ways that differ from – and often are irreducible to – humans. To fully grasp and deal with the impact of Gen AI, this chapter contends that both these approaches should be pursued since the identification of the pros and cons of Gen AI also depends on how this model of AI works from an epistemological standpoint and our ability to interact with it.