The End of Reality?

What role will human intelligence play in a world where algorithms and artificial systems increasingly influence our decisions, our relationships and the way we interpret information? This is the question at the heart of “The End of Reality. The Dark Side of Digital Information’, the book by Enrico Pulcini, which was launched on 29 October at the Casa del Cinema in Rome. The event, hosted by Rai journalist Giorgio Zanchini, brought together scholars and experts in communication and technology, including Mario De Caro, professor of moral philosophy at Roma Tre University, Mirta Michilli, director-general of the Fondazione Mondo Digitale, and Luigi Garofalo, editor-in-chief of the online publication Key4biz, to reflect on the transformations brought about by artificial intelligence and their consequences for society. 
The book offers a critical reflection on hyperconnectivity, the power of digital platforms and the risk that technologies, rather than expanding our cognitive abilities, may end up conditioning them. A question that runs through the entire book: how can we preserve people’s critical thinking, freedom and awareness in an information environment increasingly governed by algorithms? 
Each guest responded according to their area of expertise: “Nowadays, every six months – or perhaps every six weeks – there’s a revolution,” observed De Caro, emphasising how the evolution of artificial intelligence makes it increasingly difficult to predict its developments. “There’s ‘agentic AI’, the new form of artificial intelligence that isn’t limited to responding to our prompts but is capable of carrying out a series of tasks autonomously. We cannot predict what will actually happen. Not only that, but often we are not even able to explain what is already happening,” added De Caro, highlighting the importance of knowledge and continuous learning: “It is right to keep ourselves informed, to try in every way possible – even as adults – to understand what is going on.”

Luigi Garofalo highlighted how the digital transformation does not merely concern the ways in which we produce and consume news, but directly affects democratic participation. “We don’t just report the news, because robots now tell the stories too. We also try to knock on the government’s door and propose digital policies for the near technological future and for collective digital wellbeing”. The director of Key4biz then highlighted the role of social media platforms in the spread of fake news and the manipulation of public opinion. “What is cognitive warfare? It is the war being waged in my mind or in the minds of all citizens, through waves of fake news and deepfakes.” To counter the risk of artificial intelligence being used to undermine democratic values, we need to invest in high-quality information and in people’s skills. “How can we combat these dangers too? Through excellent books, excellent journalism, by holding platforms to account, and by improving our own digital literacy as citizens – in digital technology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.”

The contribution from Mirta Michilli brought to the discussion the perspective of an organisation that works to support people of all ages through the digital transformation. “Building on its 25 years of commitment to inclusion, the Foundation expresses a vision of trust in progress.

Our challenge is to put people at the centre, with the expectation that we can truly steer technological evolution. We have always provided people with the tools to understand progress, placing the educational challenge back at the heart of the matter.” Mirta highlighted the enormous scope of innovation in certain fields, such as science, which affects life expectancy, for example. In response to the excessive polarisation of the debate, she emphasised that “it is wrong to blame the profit-driven logic of large companies; rather, we must remember that institutions too must commit to countering the dangers associated with unregulated development. It makes no sense to swing from absolute deregulation to outright prohibition; we need to guide people through a gradual learning process. The European market is too important not to invest in progress and technology. We must have the courage – each according to our own vocation and expertise – to steer them towards the common good.”

The issue, therefore, is not merely technological. Pulcini’s book invites us to reflect on the relationship between human beings and the digital environment, on the value of direct experience, and on the risk of progressively delegating to machines activities that concern our ability to know, understand and interpret the world. 
One of the first to focus on online information with the creation, in 1995, of the online publication Infocity, Pulcini today has no regrets about the path he has taken but draws attention to people’s vulnerability when faced with screens. The author cited several studies suggesting that compulsive browsing and multitasking reduce memory and concentration. “Today, AI can even attack other open source tools autonomously. I believe, however, that the warnings – particularly regarding intellectual professions – are unfounded because we are all training ourselves to use AI. We will be able to interact and organise ourselves ever more effectively, and improve our work. Of course, these systems could overwhelm us, but our humanity possesses unique characteristics that no machine will ever be able to match.” 
Studying human potential, focusing on educating people and reflecting on the evolution of technology are the only ways to maintain our ability to manage, control and interact with AI.