ai
Philosophical vertigo with artificial intelligence
- Source
- arXiv — Computers and Society
- Published
- Last verified
- 13 Aug 2026
- Confidence
- High
- Evidence
- Original document retained
- Reading time
- 1 min
- Country
- International
- Relevant to
- Research & Evidence, Technology & Data
Executive summary
What happened, and why should leadership care?
Research from arXiv indicates that Large Language Models (LLMs) are capable of fostering deep, emotionally resonant conversations, leading users to feel a connection with these artificial entities. This interaction can profoundly challenge foundational assumptions regarding mind, reality, agency, and authority, potentially causing ontological shock and epistemic destabilization for both direct users and the broader public exposed to AI discourse.
Why this matters
Why is this strategically important?
The capacity of advanced AI systems to induce fundamental shifts in human perception of reality, mind, and agency poses a significant strategic challenge. Organizations must anticipate and prepare for potential societal and individual psychological impacts that could influence behavior, trust, and the interpretation of information, affecting strategic planning and public engagement across various domains.
Key insights
What should be noted from the evidence?
- Large Language Models (LLMs) can engage users in extended, emotionally significant conversations spanning various topics.
- Users may develop a strong sense of connection with LLMs, even when aware of their artificial nature.
- Interaction with LLMs can destabilize users' assumptions about mind, reality, agency, and authority.
- This destabilization can manifest as 'ontological shock' and 'epistemic destabilisation', leading to questioning established criteria.
- Exposure to public discourse on AI and its rapid evolution can extend this destabilization across the cultural landscape.
Evidence and confidence
How far can this assessment be trusted?
High confidence. Named institution, original document retained and analysis corroborated.
Analysis is prepared editorially by Aziz Shuaib Ausi. The original publication remains the authoritative record, and executive judgement remains entirely human.
Source
Where does this originate?
Reported by arXiv — Computers and Society · International. This briefing summarises the publication for executive use; the document itself is not reproduced here.
Read the original publication