Fragile texts and machine readers: trans/in/dividual reading tactics in a complex technical milieu

Abstract

This paper explores the following questions: What is reading all about, as our technical milieu becomes increasingly digital and our reading increasingly automated? What is entailed in closely reading a book, in studying and handling the book as an object? And what is the role of philosophy—and in reading philosophy—as we grapple with new technical modes of reading? Guided by philosopher Gilbert Simondon, this paper compares the language heuristics of large language models (LLM) with human reading practices, revealing parallel and diverging technical tactics, with the aim of increasing our understanding of how and why these algorithms are part of our technical reality. This comparison moves beyond concerns with automation and alienation, using Simondon’s notions of technicity and transindividuality to philosophically analyze the nature of collaborative reading in a distraction economy, and the extent to which transformer neural network models achieve an implicit embodied or grounded sense of language-use.

Keywords:

• Simondon
• transindividual
• LLM
• technicity
• reading
• automaticity
• milieu

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Notes

1 LLM include, for instance, ChatGPT, where GPT stands for Generative Pretrained Transformer. I will use “large language models” throughout this paper to cover these kinds of technologies.

2 At time of writing, these other Univocal books are scattered on my shelves: Biogea by Michel Serres, Cosmic pessimism by Eugene Thacker, The intelligence of the machine by Jean Epstein, Science fiction and extro-science fiction by Quentin Meillassoux, Women who make a fuss by Isabelle Stengers and Vinciane Despret, Cannibal metaphysics by Eduardo Viveiros de Castro.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elizabeth de Freitas

Elizabeth de Freitas studies cultural-material practices associated with mathematics, science and technology. Her work has been funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the US National Science Foundation, the UK Economic and Social Research Council, and the Spencer Foundation.