An insincere future: will discourse become diluted with AI

Written by Amir Dehghan

An insincere future: will discourse become diluted with AI I was out with a few friends one weekend in early February when one of my French friends said, "I’ve been sending my boyfriend texts that Chat GPT edited for months now", a point I ignored at the time. Although, since then artificial intelligence (AI) has become a major talking point, specifically Chat GPT, is an engine built to respond to any queries and reply in a scarily accurate fashion. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been keeping up with the times, automating all of my formal and informal correspondences, and no one has noticed a thing... AI can automate, but it cannot experience anything tangible, so I set myself a test, I’ll write a very short piece about the history of the modern Iranian politics. My mother and father experienced the Iranian Revolution of 1979, a famous timestamp in their lives and in Iranian history, I’ll be only using their experiences and knowledge of the Iranian revolution and testing if ChatGDP can describe my homeland as intimately as myself and my family. A test of human memory/experience vs data.

Example One

The state of Iran is known by two names, Iran and Persia, both homes of the Persian Empire. In the early 20th century, Persia experienced a pivotal change. In 1925, the Pahlavi dynasty took over from the Qajar dynasty, and with that came the fall of the Persian empire. Reza Pahalavi, also known as Reza Shah, was declared the new king of Iran. He implemented new values in Iran; there was a secular push and a focus on modernity. A push that his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, also known as the Shah, continued after he took over from his father’s reign in 1941. Although the Pahlavis, like the Qajars, were overthrown,

This event was known widely as the Iranian Revolution of 1979, a series of mass demonstrations that resulted in the dethronement of the Shah. Ruhollah Khomeini, a dogmatic Shi’ite leader, replaced the Shah, shifting Iran from a monarchal secular state to a conservative Islamic fundamentalist republic. These series of events can be used to contextualise the change in focus in both visual discourse and Iranian thought. I’ll introduce the philosophies and concepts of many Iranian politicians, thinkers, and movements, such as "Khomeini’ism" , The Shah," and the Iranian Green Movement. The new government implemented a series of policies aimed at the Islamization of Iranian society, including the imposition of Islamic law, the elimination of western influence, and the promotion of traditional Islamic values.

Example Two

The Iranian Revolution was a massive upheaval that took place in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was a time of intense social and political unrest, as people from all walks of life came together to protest against the corrupt and oppressive regime of the Shah. Iranians were fed up with the government's corruption, economic inequality, and westernisation policies that seemed to be eroding the country's traditional Islamic values. The revolution was also driven by a desire to establish an Islamic government in Iran. When the Shah was overthrown in February 1979, it was a moment of immense joy and relief for many Iranians. However, the establishment of the new Islamic Republic of Iran also brought with it a new set of challenges. The new government implemented strict Islamic law, which restricted personal freedoms and led to the suppression of dissent. Despite this, many Iranians were hopeful that the Islamic Republic would lead to a better future for their country.

The Iranian Revolution had a significant impact on the region, particularly on the relationship between Iran and the United States. Following the revolution, the US and Iran became estranged, and relations between the two countries deteriorated rapidly. The revolution also inspired similar movements across the region, particularly in countries with Muslim-majority populations, where the idea of establishing an Islamic state was appealing to many. Today, the legacy of the Iranian Revolution is still felt in Iran and the wider region, as the country continues to grapple with issues of political and social change.

For the answer, please see page 47

Fragility, Art’s reminder of our

Written by Amir Dehghan