Technocritique and its limits: Éric Sadin on human dignity in the face of artificial intelligence

Examining the work of French writer, philosopher, and ‘technocritic’ Éric Sadin, with a particular focus on his fears regarding artificial intelligence systems’ infiltration into numerous facets of human affairs, their imposition of a ‘universal technical principle’ upon all aspects of our lives, and their anthropomorphic and alētheic characteristics, this article argues that whilst Sadin's polemical writings provide a useful corrective to more celebratory accounts of such technological developments, his reliance on an uncritical and largely unexamined humanism detracts from their efficacy. Extolling the virtues of a European tradition of thought centred on an ideal of human agency, mastery, and finitude – in short, self-determination – Sadin posits a benchmark against which any manifestation of the technical ( la technique ) can only appear as an impediment to the full flourishing of our autonomy.