Artificial Intelligence – can it be useful for archaeology, anthropology, history and related subjects?

Artificial Intelligence – can it be useful for archaeology, anthropology, history and related subjects?

What is artificial intelligence?: Simply, it is the “intelligence,” that is “artificial,” virtual and imaginary and thus, not real. When, “intelligence,” brainpower and acumen become artificial, man loses his mental power. Then, who is acquiring that “intelligence other than man? Machine, man-created machine only replaces. However, again, man only controls the computer giving inputs to create such AI. However, the man knows how even another man is controlled through “brain control, brainwashing” etc., either by inducement or threat. A master-slave example is applied for many exigencies with positive and negative connotations and applications. Accordingly, the application of AI is subjected to limitations.

Doing a job, again and again, mechanical and robotics: A robot is considered as human substitute that could do some specific work, as per the computer software program. In industries, wherever, repetitive processes were there, they were controlled to be carried on again and again by man-operated machine, switch, timer and later with computer. Gears and continuously rotating parts are replaced with software programs, where, many processes are repeated. Thus, profile cutting machines have already been used in electrical, electronic and mechanical industries. Slowly, more processes were brought under the computerized control. In the design and development processes of many industries, they are frequently used. In Textiles, garments and related industries, they become essential, as they do such jobs easily with software manipulation. For FMG, its role becomes far and wide. Now, the film, media and ad-companies exploit the maximum.

AI could bring more profits to Internet-dependent companies: Artificial intelligence leverages computers and machines to mimic the problem-solving and decision-making capabilities of the human mind[1]. However, it is not simply man-created robots imitating man, but, more than that in many cases.

• Artificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligence of machines or software, as opposed to the intelligence of humans or other animals. It is a field of study in computer science that develops and studies intelligent machines.
• AI technology is widely used throughout industry, government, and science. Some high-profile applications are: advanced web search engines (e.g., Google Search), recommendation systems (used by YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix), understanding human speech (such as Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa), self-driving cars (e.g., Waymo), generative and creative tools (ChatGPT and AI art), and superhuman play and analysis in strategy games (such as chess and Go).
• The companies involved in the Internet business directly or indirectly, are very much interested in this field, as the more time man spends on it, the more usage and the more income and profits to them (manufacturers and service providers).

What will happen to the buyers, users and consumers?: With the internet, many of students (from pre-KG to PhD) stopped reading books and just “google” and get prepared for exams. For project work etc., they just copy Wiki[2]. With the rise of mobiles, they virtually become slaves and affecting the human relations. More Internet usage, more men turning to cyber, cyber crimes have also started increasing. Of course, money has been the target, for that all ethics and morals are sacrificed. Thus, unimaginable crimes are committed affecting humanity. It is not that one community, nation, country or continent, but, the whole world gets affected.

India required “demythologization” and not more mythologization through AI: What is important in Indian/Bharat history today is not further mythologization, but the retrieval or recovery of science and technology from such myths. Such a method is called demythologization. At Somnathapuram, the linga was floating, and it was a scientific technique. Here, historically, there is no myth or falsehood. Though, even historians like Romila Thapar have mentioned it, they could not explain the scientific aspect, as they do not know it. Magnetic levitation refers to the floating of an object without the aid of any other object, but only by the magnetic force of like poles repelling each other. It is noteworthy that this technology has now extended to trains as well. German trains called Maglev (derived from magnetic levitation) fly like this. A magnetic levitation or floating train is a train that can float without the help of wheels through magnetic levitation technology. When it starts crawling, not all of its parts hit the ground. The speed of these trains going on the magnetic track can exceed 580 kilometres per hour. In the same way, the science and technology behind the Indian material culture can be explained.

The demythologization of Indian history is more important than AI-sponsored pictures: In ancient India, the process of rewriting the epics was started by various vested groups, before the various impacts caused by foreign invasions in Bharat. Jains-Buddhists in particular had rewritten them with many interpolations to show off their antiquity. In other words, they added a narrative of Tirtankaras and Buddhas made available in every yuga[3]. This is why there are so many slokas in Ramayana and Mahabharata increasing from one recension to another. Again the slokas were added when those who learned and realized the legends and tried to remove them, i.e. to change the matters which had already come into prevalent, known and recorded in the manuscripts. First, they tried to give a proper explanation so that such contradictions were understood and ignored. Rewriting, expurgation and editing processes were involved in such correcting processes. Such interchanges ranged from the Jain period to the medieval Muslim and 19^th century colonial periods.

Disadvantages of Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence cannot create new myths by putting on a scientific mask and technical masquerade in methods like pseudo-science, and alchemy. Already now scientific researches like DNA and genetics have been diverted by ideological delusions[4], hybrids with their likes and dislikes. In graphics, models, pictures, films etc. have already been realistically captured and available in circulation. Although somewhat reflective of the real situation, more fictional characters were created. But artificial intelligence is turning real historical heroes into fictional characters. Gods, who are already worshipped as idols, as deities in sanctum sanctorum, are transformed by artificial intelligence into some sort of living human beings. Thus, even the remnants of reality that exist today will eventually disappear or be denied by the ignorant one day.

Commercialization of Science and Technology: Now many people are working to commercialize using the current technologies as how to make money in a short period of time by increasing internet usage. That is, especially in a country like India where there are 140 crore people, even if one crore or just one lakh people become buyers for a product, the manufacturer or seller will get considerable income and profit. So, keeping it in mind, they use their new and novel aggressive campaign tactics. For that, they need advertisement and publicity vigorously. They don’t even bother about quality, standards, efficiency, etc. in such unethical and unspiritual business. Therefore, even when education, textbooks, teachers who teach them; schools and universities come, the idea that anyone should read and study the sources becomes less important in terms of need, status and benefits. That’s why there are so many people who just study and get marks in some subject and qualified, go to work, earn and live comfortably. So in that case, no one seems to care if he says, “Go and read the sources and write with evidence.”

Caution about AI: There is concern about the increase in malpractice in the field of scientific research[5]. As shown by various institutions and studies, institutional, economic and cultural factors have encouraged an increase in cases of professional malpractice including fraud, corruption, plagiarism, conflicts of interest, financial doping, improper attribution, illicit appropriation of ideas, concepts and results, influence peddling, falsification of evidence, data manipulation, exaggeration of results, lack of protection of research subjects, misappropriation or misuse of resources, the commodification of knowledge, use of phantom sources, nepotistic or inbred citation, improper or fraudulent use of information. The researchers have also pointed out that, “Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a double-edged sword for scientific research. While, on one hand, the incredible potential of AI and the different techniques and technologies for using it make it a product coveted by all scientific research centres and organisations and science funding agencies. On the other, the highly negative impacts that its irresponsible and self-interested use is causing, or could cause, make it a controversial tool, attracting strong criticism from those involved in the different sectors of research…”

Limitations of usage to archaeology, anthropology and related subjects: About the usage of AI for archaeology, anthropology and allied subjects has been discussed and debated, because of the advantages and disadvantages involved[6]. The easy availability of Machine Language (ML) algorithms and lack of expertise on their proper use among the anthropological research community has led to foundational misapplications that have appeared throughout the literature. The resulting unreliable results not only undermine efforts to legitimately incorporate ML into anthropological research, but produce potentially faulty understandings about our human evolutionary and behavioural past[7].

1. Why don’t the AI experts try to analyze and decipher the Indus Valley pictograms, signs or fonts with their artificial intelligence?

2. There are many chronological puzzles in Indian history, why not solve them with their machine language and artificial intelligence?

3. Those who earn money by singing Ramayana and enjoying discourses, can solve the problem of such chronological issues faithfully?

4. Those who are disputing and fighting about Advaita-Dvaitam etc., can bring them under timelines acceptable to commonman?

5. By the application of AI for religious depiction, in an attempt to humanize the gods, they turn them into dehumanized cute cartoon characters only.

6. Therefore, they have to act as a tool to break counter-ideologies and not to be in a position to feed them.

7. What is important in Indian history today is not the mythologization of the existing, but, demythologization, scientifically.

8. But the science and technology contained in the Vedangas, Itihasas, Puranas etc.,  is to be restored and given to the people in an understandable way.

9. There is no need to create new historical problems without solving existing historical and archaeological issues and contradictions.

10. Artificial Intelligence should not become some sort of pseudo-science, alchemy, etc.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

17-01-2024

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[1] https://www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence

[2]  In fact, I have also referred to Wiki to understand the fundamentals, later to proceed to read other research papers in the context.

[3] Even in Ramayana period, Hains and Buddhists were found. The dates of Titankaras are traced back to Kaliyuga. In Buddhism, buddhas were there in every aeon.

[4]  In spite of “Out of Africa,” theory, Neanderthal exists and the so-called “Aryan-Dravidian” hypotheses and theories continue in India.

[5] González Esteban, Elsa, and Patrici Calvo. “Ethically governing artificial intelligence in the field of scientific research and innovation.” Heliyon 8 (2022) e08946, 2022.

[6] Tenzer, Martina, et al. “Debating AI in archaeology: applications, implications, and ethical considerations.”, 2023.

[7] Calder, Jeff, et al. “Use and misuse of machine learning in anthropology.” IEEE BITS the Information Theory Magazine 2.1 (2022): 102-115.