AI (for) Tools?

Cat about to catch a rodent. (Photo by Alexa from Pixabay) Introduction One of the most common things that we hear these days is that we shouldn’t be concerned about AI because it is “just a tool”. My initial reaction to that statement is: it doesn’t fit what I think of as a tool, especially the concept of a tool as defined in the Unix paradigm. But still, I am thinking, maybe there is something to the concept of AI being a tool, so let’s look more closely. What is a Tool? Merriam-Webster Dictionary1 provides us with the following definitions of the word tool: Handheld Device That Aids in Accomplishing a Task The Cutting or Shaping Part in a Machine or Machine Tool A Machine for Shaping Metal Something (Such as an Instrument or Apparatus) Used in Performing an Operation or Necessary in the Practice of a Vocation or Profession An Element of a Computer Program (Such as a Graphics Application) That Activates and Controls a Particular Function A Means to an End (Informal + Impolite):…