What Would Kant, Hegel, and Voltaire Say About Artificial Intelligence?

The Enlightenment was an 18th-century cultural and philosophical movement that sought to emancipate humanity from ignorance and dogmatism through trust in reason, science, and progress. Today, we might ask whether this new algorithmic "reason" can fulfill a similar emancipatory role, addressing some of the very problems that the Enlightenment aimed to resolve.

We know we cannot call "reason" the electric current running through silicon (even though we call "reason" the molecular activity within biological filaments). So, setting aside materialist arguments—already extensively debated in previous discussions—the real question here is: What are the sociological and philosophical parallels between the Enlightenment’s pursuit of autonomy and knowledge and AI’s potential for contemporary society? How would thinkers like Kant, Hegel, and Voltaire react to this unprecedented form of automated rationality?

The Problems the Enlightenment Sought to Solve

One of the Enlightenment’s main goals was to free humanity from obscurantism and religious or traditional superstition. Enlightenment philosophers promoted the critical and autonomous use of reason: an educated and free individual should verify the principles they adhere to rather than passively accepting them. We could summarize this as "Emancipation from dogma and superstition."

For the Enlightenment thinkers, the dissemination of knowledge was the key to improving human conditions. The Encyclopedia by Diderot and d'Alembert is a prime example—an ambitious work that aimed to collect and organize all human knowledge, making it accessible to a broad audience. This pursuit could be called "Universal education and knowledge."

Kant, in particular, saw the Enlightenment as humanity’s emergence from its self-imposed immaturity. The ability to think independently—and to act in accordance with reason—constituted true freedom, both individually and collectively. Thus, we can speak of "Moral autonomy and individual liberty."

Enlightenment thinkers envisioned a more just society based on equality before the law, religious tolerance, and limited authority. From Voltaire to Montesquieu, Locke, and Rousseau, institutional reform and the recognition of fundamental human rights were considered essential pillars of a new social order. In short: "Social and political progress."

Now, let’s move beyond speculation: Can Artificial Intelligence be seen as the "new Reason"?

AI as the "New Reason" of the Digital Age

Automated Knowledge

If the Enlightenment sought to spread knowledge through the Encyclopedia, AI can be seen as a meta-encyclopedia—a tool capable of analyzing vast amounts of data, generating content, and identifying patterns invisible to the human observer. This theoretically facilitates easier access to information and the construction of a shared and global knowledge base.

Why meta? Because while the Encyclopedia provided direct answers to specific inquiries, AI helps us understand what to search for in order to reach our goals.

Combatting Disinformation

One problem Enlightenment thinkers could never have foreseen—but which directly relates to their battle against superstition—is the rise of widespread disinformation online. AI could potentially detect fake news, manipulations, or cognitive biases, acting as a rational filter for information. Properly trained, AI could partially fulfill the role of a guardian of truth by providing automatic fact-checking tools.

Of course, AI can also generate misinformation, but in a vast sea of big data, manipulating information is becoming increasingly difficult. More on this in future discussions.

Promoting Autonomy and Equality

From a sociological perspective, AI could contribute to reducing inequalities—by automating basic services, accelerating medical research, or improving decision-making processes in public administration.

That said, there is a real risk that AI could become a tool for mass surveillance and control, threatening the very values of freedom and autonomy that were central to the Enlightenment. However, this is not inherently AI’s fault—rather, it stems from the automation of our social interactions (social media being a prime example).

A New Social Progress

Some optimists hope that AI could enhance governance, economic planning, and environmental sustainability, reducing waste, optimizing resources, and promoting a more sustainable society. In this sense, "artificial reason" could contribute to social progress—aligned with the optimism that characterized many Enlightenment philosophers. But, as with any epochal transformation, risks and abuses abound.

What Would Kant, Hegel, and Voltaire Say?

Immanuel Kant

In his famous essay What Is Enlightenment? (1784), Kant urged humanity to "emerge from its state of immaturity" by making public use of reason.

Kant might see AI as a potential ally for rational inquiry, provided it does not replace individual thought and freedom. The problem of heteronomy—where humans delegate moral decision-making to an external authority—re-emerges in the form of an algorithmic authority.

Kant would be concerned:"It is not enough for AI to generate solutions; each of us, as rational beings, must examine and approve these solutions through our own moral judgment."

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel

In The Phenomenology of Spirit, Hegel describes the "unhappy consciousness" and the dialectical process that leads to self-awareness, reason, and spirit. History, in his view, advances through contradictions and resolutions.

With AI, Hegel might see a new stage in the development of the "World Spirit" (Weltgeist)—where rationality is no longer confined to individual minds but becomes objectified in global computational systems.

However, Hegel would emphasize that true freedom is achieved through the reconciliation of the individual with the community. If AI becomes merely a tool for power and control, this contradiction would inevitably lead to conflict. But if AI is integrated into an ethical framework, it could mark a new stage in humanity’s realization of Reason in the world.

Voltaire

Voltaire, with his sharp wit and polemical spirit, fought against fanaticism, intolerance, and superstition.

He would likely approve of AI’s role in combating fake news and promoting education and free expression. But at the same time, he would satirize the dangers of a "new digital Inquisition"—where AI, instead of liberating thought, becomes a dogmatic enforcer of pre-packaged truths.

In his essays and pamphlets, Voltaire would likely warn against the temptation to deify AI and recommend healthy skepticism toward any centralized power—whether it be religious, political, or algorithmic.

Final Thoughts

There are no definitive conclusions, except this: AI represents a philosophical shift of immense significance.

And once again, it is philosophy that must chart the course.

References

• Bostrom, N. (2014). Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Oxford University Press.

• Harari, Y. N. (2017). Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow. Bompiani.

• Hegel, G. W. F. (1807). The Phenomenology of Spirit. (Italian translation: Laterza, 2008.)

• Kant, I. (1784). What Is Enlightenment? Published in Berlinische Monatsschrift, 4, 481–494.

• Voltaire. (1759). Candide, or Optimism. (Italian translation: Mondadori, 2003.)