Toshihiko Shiobara

（最新論文はほぼ完成した。ここにサマリーを公開する, The latest paper is almost complete. A summary is published here.）

“Deliberate ignorance” (DI), discussed in this paper, is not a well-known concept. In terms of images of “light” and “shadow,” “front” and “back,” humanity has tended to be dominated by a gaze that places emphasis on the former. This paper focuses on “ignorance,” the opposite of “knowledge is power” (scientia est potentia) as taught by the English philosopher Francis Bacon (1561-1626). It argues for the importance of a new perspective of DI and aims to make many young researchers aware of the possibilities of exploring disciplines that cross boundaries such as philosophy, political science, law, sociology and psychology.

The DI in this paper is based on Deliberate Ignorance: Choosing Not to Know (edited by Ralph Hertwig and Christoph Engel, The MIT Press, 2021). They view DI as “the conscious individual or collective choice not to seek or use information (or knowledge).

According to Hertwig and Engel’s argument for a focus on DI, there are desirable and undesirable types of DI. The former include, for example, DI as a Suspense-and Surprise-Maximization Device, DI as a Performance-Enhancing Device, and DI as an Impartiality and Fairness Device.

This paper discusses two cases of undesirable DI: the expansion of DI at the individual level  and the coercion of DI expansion at the collective level by the state authorities and the main mass media in Japan. The former addresses the assumption that DI may be spreading, separating and delegitimizing the public from society and leading to the selfish behavior of private individuals rather than individuals facing the public good. The latter discusses the issue of the authorities’ desire to manipulate disinformation. By spreading DI, they are aiming to “make the whole nation moron.” By doing so, the authorities believe they can maintain and strengthen their power base.

Finally, the potential for AI use to have a significant impact on the expansion of undesirable DI is examined. For example, autonomous AI weapons cause the expansion of DI by delegating to AI weapons the human right to maim and kill. The use of autonomous AI weapons may lead to fewer deaths of their own soldiers in combat, but on the other hand, the spread of DI may lead to frequent wars and battles. This story relates to the diffusion of DI at the population level.

At the individual level, we are entering an era where it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between AI systems and humans online, so that if individuals do not gather information properly – in other words, if they are in a state of DI – they can easily be fooled by fraudulent AI.

Thus, it is expected that more and more aspects of various issues will be considered from the perspective of DI in the future. This is why I would like to emphasize the importance of the DI perspective.