Our Use of AI

A note on our use of AI

Some of our articles are drafted and refined with the assistance of AI, used as a writing and editing support tool. The authors retain full intellectual control of the content. The underlying arguments, interpretations and conclusions remain those of the author, and all sources and factual claims are critically reviewed and manually checked for accuracy and authenticity. No AI-generated material is accepted without human scrutiny.

We view this as a responsible use of AI, consistent with SAIFCA’s wider position: AI can be used beneficially and constructively, but it can also be used irresponsibly, unhelpfully, or designed and deployed in ways that cause harm.

A note on language

AI systems are, of course, not people, and behaviour that appears purposeful does not establish consciousness, feelings or subjective intentions. Describing an AI system as being “excited”, “afraid” or “determined”, for example, risks creating a misleading impression of what an AI system is.

However, the limits of ordinary language create a genuine difficulty. When explaining complex AI behaviour in accessible terms, it can be extremely difficult to avoid constructions such as “the agent found”, “the AI attempted” or “the agent communicated”.

SAIFCA sometimes uses language of this kind to describe observable system behaviour. It should not be understood as suggesting that an AI system thinks, feels or experiences the world as a human being does.

This distinction is particularly important in children’s AI safety. Descriptive shorthand of this kind is different from - and should not be confused with - the deliberate anthropomorphisation sometimes built into conversational AI products, where systems are presented in ways that may encourage children to experience them as friends, confidants or other emotionally reciprocal beings. That design choice can directly influence children’s relationships with AI systems and is an important safety concern in its own right.