Philosophical Insights on AI Across Two Realms

Return to the Predicative Realm From the Subjective Realm

Since the release of AI2027 by former OpenAI visionary Daniel Kokotajlo, various discussions have emerged about the rapidly approaching timeline it presents. Specifically, will AI—represented by the fictional corporation OpenBrain’s creation of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in July 2027—eventually eliminate humanity? Whether or not this scenario materializes is not my primary interest; instead, I want to explore AI from a unique perspective.

Like many others, I actively incorporate AI into my daily tasks, both professionally and personally. My primary applications involve video, images, and music, each AI having its own distinct characteristics. Therefore, I regularly utilize multiple AI services simultaneously to calibrate my work, continually enhancing my creative capacity and productivity in alignment with AI updates. When I counted recently, I realized I am actively using about 15 different AI services daily. This decentralized approach ensures continuous productivity even during global outages, such as the recent worldwide downtime experienced by OpenAI, by swiftly switching to alternative AI solutions. However, my perspectives on AI differ significantly from those common among English-speaking users.

Foremost among my concerns is that AI fundamentally operates within a “subjective language mode” (主語制言語). Historically, this arises because the foundational programming languages have been English. This inevitably creates significant structural conflicts when interfaced with Japanese. Briefly put, Japanese is a language that does not inherently require explicit subjects or the “Subject–Copula–Predicate/Complement” construction, which is fundamental in English. Philosopher Yamamoto Tetsuji, whom I deeply admire, describes Japanese as a “predicative language mode” (述語制言語). For clarity, let’s distinguish these as the “subjective realm” (主語制界域) emerging from subjective language modes, and the “predicative realm” (述語制界域) emerging from predicative language modes. To put it simply, the linguistic style fundamentally shapes the thinking processes, methodologies, cultures, and historical perspectives of those inhabiting each realm. Personally, I believe this linguistic divergence has historically led to the distinctiveness of nations and ethnicities. Thus, the subjective and predicative realms differ at their core. Notably, even English itself did not always follow a subjective language mode; its dominance in establishing a strong subjective realm, however, contributed significantly to centuries of Anglo-American global hegemony.