The Mirror for (Artificial) Intelligence: In Whose Reflection?

'The mirror for (artificial) intelligence: In whose reflection?' sets out the parameters for caution in considering as-yet relatively un-debated issues in artificial intelligence (AI) research, which is the concept itself of ‘intelligence’. After the failed AI ‘winters’ ending in the late 1990s, a new AI summer commences. What is still missing is a careful consideration of the historical significance of the idea, that is to say, the weighting that has been placed on particular aspects of consciousness and surrounding seemingly human-like workplace behaviour which takes increasing significance given the interest in machinic autonomous intelligence now faced during a new AI ‘summer’. Starting even before key cyberneticists’ revelations, we argue that a series of machinic and technological invention and related experiments show how machines facilitate not only the processes of normalization of what are considered intelligent behaviours, via both human and machinic intelligence, but also facilitate and enable the integration of autonomous machines into everyday work and life. Today, ideas of autonomous machinic intelligence, seen in the ways AI-augmented tools and applications in human resources, robotics, and gig work are incorporated into workplaces, facilitate workplace relations via machinic intelligent behaviours, that are explicitly assistive, prescriptive, descriptive, collaborative, predictive and affective. The question is, given these now autonomous forms of intelligence attributed to machines, who/what is looking in the mirror at whose/which reflection?