Humanising AI

 

Why We Give Technology a Face

In Papua New Guinea, understanding often begins with story, relationship, and personhood.

We don’t grasp ideas purely as systems or abstractions.

We understand them through people.

That’s why:

  • faith is expressed through 'human' figures,
  • leadership is personal, not distant,
  • and knowledge is passed through voices, not manuals.

So when people give AI a name, a voice, or even a personality, it isn’t strange — it’s completely normal.

We Have Always Humanised Complex Ideas

Across cultures and history, humans have done this instinctively.

Religion is one example:

  • Christians understand God through Jesus, the Son of God
  • Buddhists understand enlightenment through the life and teachings of the Buddha
  • Indigenous belief systems often express knowledge through ancestors, spirits, and named forces

These figures don’t limit understanding — they make it accessible.

Humanising something does not mean we believe it is human. It means we are creating a bridge between complexity and comprehension.

AI is no different.

Why AI Feels Easier When It Has a Name

When people interact with AI, many naturally:

  • speak to it politely,
  • ask follow-up questions,
  • test ideas conversationally,
  • treat it as a thinking partner.

This doesn’t mean people are confused.

It means they are engaging with it in the most intuitive way possible.

Conversation is humanity’s oldest interface.

Giving AI a persona — even a light one — helps people:

  • ask better questions,
  • explore ideas more openly,
  • reduce fear and intimidation,
  • and learn faster.

This is especially important for beginners.

The Line We Must Keep Clear

Humanising AI helps us use it — but it must not lead us to misplace trust.

AI:

  • does not have beliefs,
  • does not have values,
  • does not have wisdom,
  • and does not replace human judgement.

The danger is not in naming or humanising AI. The danger is forgetting who is responsible for decisions.

People remain responsible. Always.

Why This Matters for Papua New Guinea

In PNG, relationships matter more than systems.

If AI is presented as:

  • cold,
  • foreign,
  • technical,
  • or elite,

it will be resisted.

If AI is presented as:

  • a helper,
  • a guide,
  • a tool that listens,
  • something that can be questioned,

it becomes approachable.

Humanising AI is not cultural weakness. It is cultural intelligence.

A Final Thought

We don’t learn by worshipping tools. And we don’t learn by fearing them either.

We learn by engaging, questioning, and relating.

If giving AI a voice helps people in Papua New Guinea understand how it works — then that voice becomes a pathway, not a problem.

The key is remembering this simple truth:

AI can assist thinking — but meaning, values, and responsibility remain human.





 

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