Exploring the stories-we-live-by in the Era of Generative AI: An Ecolinguistic Study
Keywords:
Generative AI,, stories-we-live-by, ecolinguistics, ecological concernsAbstract
Within the domain of artificial intelligence (AI), an intriguing and frequently disregarded dichotomy emerges: a comprehensive examination of the relationship of humans and AI co-existing with a noticeable dearth of attention towards environmental factors. This study presents an in-depth ecolinguistic analysis of discourses surrounding Generative AI, humans, and social structures including non-human objects. Utilizing a five-step textual analysis proposed by Altheide and Schneider (2013), this qualitative study investigates linguistic expressions in panel discussions featuring technologists, historians, and academicians from November 2022 to the present. By applying Stibbe’s ecolinguistic tool of “stories” (2015), the research methodology involves analyzing transcripts to identify constructive and destructive stories. The analysis highlighted how technologists, historians, and academicians contributed to the creation of three different types of stories in their panel discussions. These three stories were: AI is beneficial, AI is extinction, and AI is extractive. This study highlights the importance of inclusive narratives in technological discussions, particularly considering the ecological impacts of AI advancements. The study’s findings reveal a conspicuous erasure of environmental concerns in AI discourses, highlighting the need for greater ecological consciousness in technological development and discourse.
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