JMJ Marist Brothers

NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY

College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

Fretcy M. Villorente Modern Philosophy

Reflection paper #2 September 14, 2023

The principle of sufficient reason by Leibniz posits that in everything there is a

sufficient reason for why it is the way it is and not otherwise. And now with the
emergence of artificial intelligence we must consider the purpose of such intelligence
before we, or those who can, develop it further.
The sole purpose of Artificial intelligence is to benefit humanity. Since it is clear
that any invention is for the sake of making the world a better place to live in. However
this is not always the case, history would tell us that some of the inventions caused
millions of lives to perish in the blink of an eye. Take for example the creation of
dynamite by Nobel, it was at first intended to help people in building and mining.
However it took another direction and was eventually used to make bombs, cannons
and rockets that were used in wars. The same is true as well in the creation of Artificial
intelligence it could either benefit humanity or perhaps eventually destroy it, depending
on the goals of those who hold power.
In discussing the emergence of Artificial intelligence one must be aware of its
potential ethical implications which again could either serve or destroy humanity.
Consider that AI is much more sophisticated than humans and is less likely to produce
an error. This in turn would lead to job displacements. Take for example the presence of
harvesters in the farm, before it was people who manually harvests the rice fields. And
perhaps in hundred years more there will be no need for a person to operate machines
because it will be guided by an artificial intelligence. This would result in an increase in
job displacements and the poor will eventually become poorer. And perhaps there will
come a time when humanity will entirely rely on artificial intelligence that can eventually
lead to over dependence.
In addition Artificial intelligence can be used in analyzing vast amounts of data
about people, including personal information. Take for example facial recognition
software, it can detect and identify people which would in turn raise concerns on
 JMJ Marist Brothers
NOTRE DAME OF MARBEL UNIVERSITY
College of Arts and Sciences
Alunan Ave., City of Koronadal, South Cotabato 9506

privacy. Since no one can detect if they are being monitored or closely followed by
someone. Another example is on social media and its algorithms. It is questionable
whether all social media activity can be monitored.
In Conclusion Leibniz's principle of sufficient reason is a helpful tool for reflecting
on the ethics of artificial intelligence, particularly when considering its purpose,
capabilities, and ethical implications. However, it is important to remember that any
invention can be used for good or for harm, so we must be intentional about how we
develop and use AI to ensure that it benefits humanity.