[Ailist] AI and Bullying

[Proteus Communications]

   The question of how we apply AI to situations involving bullies,
   sadists and sociopaths is complex and fascinating.  The book  by
   Albert Bernstein,  "Emotinal Vampires: How to deal with people who
   drain you dry,"  seems to address some aspects of the bullying
   dynamic.  But I think the point is not that we can apply AI to make
   sociopaths "nicer", but rather to explore why we give our power away
   to such individuals, why we remain in chronically toxic workplaces or
   relationships, and allow ourselves to be relentlessly bullied and
   victimized.  This is where the application of AI is relevant.   The
   question is framed more around the strengths we currently possess in
   setting boundaries, saying no, caring for ourselves and others, and
   the dream of what it would look like if we were to stand up to
   bullies,  reassert our own dignity and refuse to be victimized.  

    The neurophysiology piece is also important--our own wiring dictates
   to some degree how we will respond to the bully.  We need to examine
   that wiring, and all the perceptions, beliefs and assumptions that go
   along with it.  Standing up to a bully is a reclamation project--it's
   about reclaiming our power and dignity.  And AI has a key role to play
   in this process.

   Kathryn Thomson

   LeadershipMind Consulting


   
   
   ----- Original Message -----

   From: Howard Ditkoff <howard at emergentassociates.com>

   Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 12:55 pm

   Subject: Re: [Ailist] AI and Bullying

   > I realize the existence of psychopaths is deeply troubling for a
   > philosophy
   > like AI. But I urge you to actually look at the evidence - the
   > work of
   > people like Robert Hare and Martha Stout - on this issue before
   > dismissing
   > it simply because it challenges a worldview. Or else, I challenge
   > those
   > promoting AI to do their own studies and show that you can
   > actually make a
   > dent in those labeled psychopaths with AI. It's one thing to just
   > have a
   > type of faith that everyone can be changed with a well-intentioned
   > methodology. It's another to show it.
   >
   > If there is one problem in the AI community, in my view, it would
   > be the
   > denial of the existence of truly sadistic people in this world
   > whose issues
   > go far deeper than AI addresses.
   >
   > AI is a fantastic methodology for many things. But if we start
   > stretching
   > its limits beyond what it is capable of, it is going to be a rude
   > awakening.
   > Best,
   > Howard Ditkoff
   > Emergent Associates, LLC
   > http://www.emergentassociates.com
   >
   >
   > ----- Original Message -----
   > From: "Mary Gergen" <gv4 at psu.edu>
   > To: "Howard Ditkoff" <howard at emergentassociates.com>;
   > <ailist at lists.business.utah.edu>
   > Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 11:39 AM
   > Subject: Re: [Ailist] AI and Bullying
   >
   >
   > > Hi, Yes, probably most people want to have some status and
   > power in the
   > > world, and act in ways that might help them to achieve this
   > sense. Yet, I
   > > hesitate to accept Howard Ditkoff's framing of this issue in
   > terms of
   > > personality. If we take seriously the idea that in various
   > relationships
   > > we
   > > come into being.. that we acquire an identity through the
   relational
   > > processes of which we are a part, based on our possibilities.. our
   > > repertoire of selves... then we do not have to agree that some
   > people are
   > > "psychopaths" and "sadists" only. Perhaps we might say that
   > habitual ways
   > > of gaining power and status include the behaviors associated
   > with these
   > > labels. I prefer the notion that we all have multiple
   > capacities for
   > > "being" and what we might regard as preferable is to find ways
   > of helping
   > > to
   > > bring forth the positive potentials that people have or could
   > acquire.> Mary Gergen
   > >
   > > On 10/28/08 7:38 PM, "Howard Ditkoff"
   > <howard at emergentassociates.com>
   > > wrote:
   > >
   > >> My feeling is that some bullying cannot be addressed by AI.
   > There are
   > >> among
   > >> us psychopaths and sadists who enjoy causing pain and are not
   > motivated
   > >> at
   > >> all by the "positive" feelings that AI aims at fostering. They
   are
   > >> sociopathic and antisocial. Bullying involving people like that
   > can only
   > >> be
   > >> addressed by stopping those people from having power.
   > >>
   > >> But when it isn't involving someone like that, then perhaps AI
   > can help
   > >> find
   > >> leverage points for reconciliation.
   > >>
   > >> However, what I said in the first paragraph has massive
   > implications that
   > >> limit AI's effectiveness on a large scale in our world.
   Personality
   > >> disorders are not amenable to AI.
   > >>
   > >> Best,
   > >> Howard Ditkoff
   > >> Emergent Associates, LLC
   > >> http://www.emergentassociates.com
   > >>
   > >> _______________________________________________
   > >> The Appreciative Inquiry Discussion List is hosted by the David
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   > >> School
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   > >
   > > --
   > >
   > >
   > >
   > >
   >
   > _______________________________________________
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