The optimism bias in the age of AI
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.23925/1984-3585.2025i31p182-194Keywords:
Artificial intelligence, optimism bias, risk, precautionAbstract
This paper stems from a growing concern regarding the widespread optimism surrounding the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In times shaped by political instability, environmental collapse, and information overload, optimism bias acts as a psychological defense mechanism, a way to sustain hope amid chaos. Grounded in research from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and the social sciences, the article investigates the roots of this bias and how it is reflected in AI related narratives. Beyond the social dimension, it also examines the economic and political interests that encourage overly optimistic views and influence public and corporate decision-making at the expense of precautionary measures. More than exposing the risks of excessive optimism, the article seeks to contribute to the construction of a collective imagination that can recognize, with clarity, both the promises and the limits of AI.
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