ChatGPT: The New Oracle of Delphi?

The famous Oracle of Delphi exerted an incalculable influence on the Greek world, and all Greek literature, from the Iliad to the last pagan authors, provides abundant testimony to this¹. Seekers sought guidance for their existential anxieties, which ranged from sentimental problems to political issues. Despite the prophetic nature of the messages and their openness to multiple interpretations, the responses given by Apollo through the Pythias—the priestesses of this god—were always taken very seriously by the Greeks.

In the 21st century, many believe and bet on generative AI as the oracle of our time. Without the incense and mystical atmosphere of the Pythias, generative AI, based on Machine Learning models and processing a vast volume of data, provides answers to seekers on virtually all required subjects: biographical and historical doubts, tourism and culinary tips, text corrections and translations, literary work summaries, travel plans, and disease diagnoses.

Digital oracles, such as ChatGPT and Perplexity, demonstrate informational precision and astonishing linguistic prowess, often seeming as if these systems possess subjectivity or consciousness. The proliferation of these tools, which will soon be on WhatsApp, democratizes search and content generation², previously provided by human labor and now feared to be replaced by the rapid advancement of generative AI.

The fear may be justified by feeling intellectually threatened by AI. The answers generated by it seem more reliable than those provided by specialists, forged over decades of arduous preparation. However, can it be said that a book generated by AI has more relevance than one produced by an experienced writer? Does the democratization of content generation and publication truly make us bearers of “knowledge” and “expertise”?

The consequences of unrestricted content dissemination are not exclusive to our time and already appeared in the 4th century BC, in Plato’s dialogue “Phaedrus”³. In this text, Plato gives voice to Socrates, who shows the young Phaedrus the traps contained in the dissemination of knowledge through writing. When discourse is cooled by writing, it spreads everywhere and reaches all kinds of souls, from the wise to the ignorant.

Similar to painted figures that seem alive, writing, when questioned, remains silent, making it unable to educate and adapt to the reader’s needs. In this way, false sages are created, forged not by wisdom conquered through the process of instruction and meditation, but by the uncontrolled accumulation of information. According to Socrates, different from this bastard discourse is the one delivered by the science of the soul. This type of discourse is charged with force and life, knowing when it is appropriate to speak and when it is better to remain silent. Such a discourse is capable of defending itself, unlike the other, which always needs the help of the father when slandered and censored.

Generative AI sows information but not knowledge. Wisdom is the fruit of much study, reflection, and especially deep dialogue. Confusing the ease of consulting and generating information with knowledge itself is one of the great errors of our time. Studying a text like Phaedrus cannot be done through a consultation with ChatGPT. The same applies to the study of programming, design, architecture, and any other area of human knowledge.

Seeds planted in haste, as in the cults of Adonis narrated by Socrates, grow and die quickly without bearing fruit. Those planted according to natural laws, respecting time and proper cultivation, prosper and bear fruit in due time. Generative AI, of which ChatGPT is only an example, sows much information, but the knowledge that germinates from this process is questionable.

In my line of work, I say that knowing how to write is an art, very different from pasting a list of topics and asking ChatGPT to elaborate a text. Such content is artificial, soulless, and devoid of perspective. It is not just about form, but about essence. What value does something like this have if not for a purely utilitarian purpose, like a guide for assembling a wardrobe or changing a car tire? A text about life, a political analysis, or an art review requires a critical and personal perspective. The same rule applies to music, poetry, and literature.

In this path, AI will be a powerful support tool and not an oracle that replaces human knowledge and perspective. Knowledge requires an internalization that cannot depend on external elements. Turning generative AI into a crutch for laziness and quick learning is to develop a sterile and mediocre society.

Let us avoid the path of prompts and frenetic copy-pasting. Knowledge is ingrained in the soul through individual effort resulting from mental labor and dedication. When this occurs truly, the tool fulfills its role of enhancing the intellectual production of the knowledge bearer. Only he can create beauty, justice, and propagate truth.

We must use generative AI to think more broadly and deeply, not in a limited or superficial way. The most valuable knowledge is that which we carry within us. The Greek sages had already inscribed in Delphi the path to truth: “Know thyself.” I dare to reform the aphorism to “Know your craft and show it to the world," without becoming a mere appendix executing AI prompts.

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