Reframing Challenges of Governance of SDGs through Music

TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 7 Oct 2024

Anthony Judge | Laetus in Praesens - TRANSCEND Media Service

Rendering Comprehensible the 16 Logical Connectives of Discourse with AI Assistance

Introduction

7 Oct 2024 – It is increasingly recognized that the possibilities for responding to global crises are limited and that governments are very constrained in considering them. There is therefore a case for considering the role of music in enabling situations to be framed otherwise. Curiously governments claim to rely on procedures which are upheld as rational, supported by global modelling, and increasingly informed by artificial intelligence (AI). The decisions highlighted by modelling and AI are enabled by an array of 16 logical connectives — a pattern which is far from being widely known in the light of their role.

Despite the insights offered and suggested by logic and rationality, it is however readily evident that these are widely called into question by emotions and spirituality — if not the opportunities and constraints of practical necessity. As noted previously, there is a case for exploring the correspondences between logical connectives and their potential analogues — emotional connectives, spiritual connectives, and practical connectives (Pathways in Governance between Logic, Emotion, Spirituality and Action, 2024).

Emotional connectives merit exploration in the light of attention to emotional intelligence, and the adaptation of AI to that dimension — given the possibilities of dumbing down or eliciting a higher order of authenticity and subtlety in dialogue (Artificial Emotional Intelligence and its Human Implications, 2023). Already recognized controversially as “artificial spiritual intelligence“, there are clearly implications for the future articulations of values and principles upheld as fundamental to governance. Concerns have been expressed regarding the application of AI to surveillance, security, and military targetting. The subtleties of logic, emotion and spirituality may well be set aside in favour of action as a primary necessity — however it is “rationalized” — irrespective of whether it is extremely disagreeable to some, possible including those undertaking it. The triggers for nuclear warfare could be explored in that light.

Faced with the challenges of the times, there are many initiatives which could be claimed to be “logical” or “rational”. Many initiatives of the past were held to be rational and appropriate, although history now calls such appreciation into question. Increasingly the use of logic is readily challenged from other perspectives — as with the manner in which science is now deemed suspect by many. Emotion may well be a factor in determining disagreement and the failure to “like” a strategy advocated as reasonable.

How then might AI then enable any reframing of the complexities associated with the use of a little-known array of “logical connectives” — or their analogues? A thoughtful precedent is offered by the initiative of Franz Josef Radermacher of the Institute for Applied Knowledge Processing (FAW) in offering a set of the 12 songs as the accompaniment to a book (The Globalization Saga: Balance or Destruction, 2004) in association with the Global Marshall Plan Initiative. This had been preceded by a set of 13 songs accompanying the book of Alan AtKisson (Believing Cassandra: an optimist looks at a pessimist’s world, 1999). The potential of those possibilities featured in an earlier review (A Singable Earth Charter, EU Constitution or Global Ethic? 2006).

Such concerns may necessarily be held to be an indulgence in times of major conflict and its anticipation — as seemingly heralded by those of Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Palestine, Taiwan-China, and the Koreas. In contrast to other factors, what role does “logic” play in exacerbating such conflict (Chess and Go implications for Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Palestine, China-Taiwan, and the Koreas, 2024). How does discussion of them shift between incommensurable modes of discourse? Given the historical context in which Beethoven’s iconic Ninth Symphony was composed, a case has been made for Reimagining the Canon to the Sounds of Cannon Fire (2024) — as a means of challenging hegemony through the pattern that connects.

Curiously extensive use of sonification is made by physics as a means of detecting patterns in large sets of data. The potential of sonification for science has been clarified in a historic report for the US National Science Foundation (Sonification Report: status of the field and research agenda, 1997). The possibilities for science continue to be reviewed by the International Community for Auditory Display (ICAD). As noted separately, it is questionable to what extent such techniques have been applied to the challenges of society and its anticipated crises (Enhancing SDG comprehensibility and memorability through sonification, 2024; Sonification as a mnemonic aid to global sensemaking, 2020).

In this period the United Nations has just approved a Pact for the Future and a Declaration for Future Generations — on the occasion of its Summit of the Future. Crafted with necessary attention to their legal credibility, these could be acclaimed as eminently “rational” and “logical” in the face of the strategic challenges of global civilization. Deprecated by some has unduly “aspirational” — an emotional dimension articulated by the world leaders in drafting and approving them — the question as to whether they will in fact be “liked” by those populations in practice is quite another matter. For many such articulations will be read through a “spiritual” lens, as possibly understood from an aesthetic perspective. Others may set aside such modalities and see the UN initiatives as an urgent necessity determining the practical action framed by the Sustainable Development Goals and its 169 tasks.

Curiously the possibility that AI might be of considerable value in response to this global crisis is obscured by relatively ill-informed fear-mongering regarding the threat of AI to the future of human civilization. Little attempt is seemingly made to explore and demonstrate in detail how AI might be used to mitigate the challenges to the governance of a knowledge-based civilization. Somewhat ironically even the possibility of using AI to render comprehensible the documents emanating from the Summit of the Future — has been avoided. One such was previously presented (AI analysis of connectives in the UN’s Pact for the Future and its Global Digital Compact, 2024).

In a period in which failures to respond to complexity are justified by “everything is connected to everything”, the following exchange with AI offers an unusual perspective on how music might enable a wider understanding of “connectives” — whether logical, emotional or spiritual.

As in the previous experiments, the responses of ChatGPT 4o are distinctively presented below in grayed areas. Given the length of the document to which the exchange gives rise, the form of presentation has itself been treated as an experiment — in anticipation of the future implication of AI into research documents. Reservations and commentary on the process of interaction with AI to that end have been discussed separately (Methodological comment on experimental use of AI, 2024). Web technology now enables the whole document to be held as a single “page” with only the “questions” to AI rendered immediately visible — a facility not operational in PDF variants of the page (in contrast with the original). In this current experiment only selected responses have been optionally “hidden” in this way.

TO CONTINUE READING Go to Original – laetusinpraesens.org

Share this article: email mastodon facebook 🔗 copy link

DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

There are no comments so far.