On the issue of the term artificial intelligence functioning in modern scientific and social-political discourse

Abstract

Th e article examines the features of linguistic representation of artifi cial intelligence
considering it as an element of a new reality in the digital culture era. Th e multilevel linguistic
means (word-formation, lexical, morphological, syntactic) aimed at creating two directly opposite
images of artifi cial intelligence (positive and negative) are studied through scientifi c and online
media articles devoted to the issues of artifi cial intelligence usage and its role in society. Th e paper
indicates the active use of linguistic means within the functional and semantic fi eld of intensity in
the texts in question and analyzes their pragmatic features. Depending on the communicative goals, the authors of socio-political texts present artifi cial intelligence as
an anthropomorphic being that either threatens humans or benefi ts
them, while scientists warn of the danger of its use. Th ese polarized
ideas are viewed by both the author of the article and the technology
developers themselves as a language manipulation tool leading to
cognitive distortions. On this basis, the problem of distinguishing
between real and virtual discourses that describe already existing
phenomena or only imaginary ones is largely discussed. As a
possible solution, the author proposes to introduce special markers
into the text that would indicate to the addressee the status of the
statement in relation to reality, pay special attention to the subjectobject organization of sentences and use of action predicates in the
constructions where artifi cial intelligence is the subject. Th e author
states that there is no precise and generally accepted defi nition for
the term artifi cial intelligence, which gives grounds for language
manipulation as well. Th e new digital reality characterized by
describing modern technologies through anthropomorphic features
can be seen as a conceptual shift towards a distorted picture of the
reality we live in.

Keywords:

artifi cial intelligence, scientifi c discourse, socialpolitical discourse, virtual discourse; real discourse