The Spire

Giulia Giannetta ‘25

Guest Writer

In a world where technology and data dominate industries, it may seem surprising that AI companies are increasingly seeking employees with Liberal Arts degrees. However, this trend is no accident. As artificial intelligence advances, these companies recognize the need for professionals who possess critical thinking, creativity, and a deep understanding of human behavior—skills honed in Liberal Arts education. Graduates in fields like philosophy, literature, and history bring valuable insights into ethics, communication, and cultural contexts, helping tech companies navigate the complex social implications of AI while crafting more empathetic and user-centered solutions.

Would you be shocked if I told you that Chat GPT wrote this first paragraph? This information may be shocking to some, especially those dedicated to studying Computer Programming to further their careers in the world of AI. 

While the inclusion of Liberal Arts graduates in AI companies may sound promising for the future of technology, there are concerns that this integration could lead to a misleading perception of AI’s abilities. Despite the goal of making AI appear more “human,” at its core, AI remains lines of code, algorithmic functions, and vast datasets. No matter how empathetic or understanding its programs seem, it cannot replicate human consciousness, emotions, or moral reasoning. Liberal Arts graduates might be enlisted to bridge the gap, designing more personable interactions and nuanced responses. However, this “humanization” of AI runs the risk of creating unrealistic expectations about what AI can achieve.

The danger here is twofold: first, consumers may misinterpret AI’s responses as genuine expressions of empathy or awareness, which could lead to misplaced trust in AI-driven decisions. Furthermore, if companies use Liberal Arts professionals primarily to humanize AI, they risk overlooking the essential truth that AI is ultimately just a machine. The natural human touch, rooted in empathy, moral responsibility, and lived experience, cannot be coded, which raises questions about what we sacrifice when we substitute human interaction with synthetic intelligence.

So, how does this impact Liberal Arts students? The increasing integration of Liberal Arts into AI development raises troubling questions about the value of uniquely human perspectives. Traditionally, the Humanities have offered irreplaceable insights into the human condition, exploring these complex themes of identity and expression through literature, philosophy, and art. Programming can read and analyze these things but they must be genuinely understood. AI can appeal to logos but, by nature, lacks pathos. This trend could dilute the significance of human expression as AI-generated works begin to mimic the depth of human-authored pieces without embodying the lived experiences that inspire true art and philosophical thought. In attempting to humanize technology, we may be stripping away the unique qualities that define the Humanities and, by extension, our humanity. 

Working with AI development can also mean compromising the foundational principles of a Liberal Arts degree. By applying their deep understanding of human complexity to machines, graduates may inadvertently contribute to an ironic reversal: their training, intended to explore and preserve humanity, is instead used to simulate it, stripping away the essence of what makes their field valuable. Humanities scholars have historically celebrated the ambiguity, emotion, and philosophical depth that define a human life–qualities no AI can genuinely replicate. However, when scholars are tasked with humanizing technology, their role often reduces to inputting simplified prompts, tailoring phrases, and guiding machine responses rather than engaging in the creative, reflective process central to creativity. For example, my introduction paragraph, which ChatGPT entirely derived from this prompt: “Write an opening paragraph for an article about why AI companies are hiring people with Liberal Arts degrees.” And that was all I had to do to produce a human-sounding paragraph.

This shift has deeper repercussions: as creative and intellectual processes are reduced to algorithmic adjustments, we risk devaluing the painstaking journey of thought that fuels original human creativity. AI may be able to generate impressive imitations of poetry, prose, papers, or philosophical musings based on brief prompts, but it bypasses the evolution of thought that characterizes true expression. At their core, these prompts are merely imitations. Humanities scholars face the paradox of seeing their field applied to AI in a way that could make human critical thinking appear obsolete or interchangeable with artificial outputs. 

Supporters of Liberal rt professionals in AI development, however, may argue that the presence of these voices is precisely what AI needs to avoid the pitfalls of dehumanization and ethical oversight. They contend that individuals trained in the Humanities are not simply tasked with making AI appear more “human”; they are instrumental in ensuring that technology aligns with real human values, empathy, and ethical standards. Rather than reducing human creativity to simple prompts, these professionals bring a holistic perspective to AI design that incorporates moral reasoning, social context, and cultural awareness. Their expertise allows them to flag potential harms, advocate for boundaries, and inject the nuances of human-centered thinking that tech fields often lack. 

Using AI in tandem with the Humanities may also enhance, rather than replace, human creativity. AI may be used as a collaborative tool that can support the work of humanists, offering new ways to analyze texts or even understand hypothetical scenarios. These programs can produce vast datasets and identity patterns, empowering humanists to push the boundaries of their fields, providing assisted insights that would be difficult to reach through human effort alone. In this light, Liberal Arts professionals aren’t diminishing the human essence of their disciplines but are broadening its application, ensuring that as technology advances, it respects and upholds humanistic principles rather than undermining them. 

Ultimately, the growing presence of Liberal Arts graduates in AI companies offers a double-edged sword. While their skills can add valuable depth and caution to AI development, there’s a risk that their efforts to humanize AI might blur the line between machine and mind, leading society to overlook the limits and dangers of entrusting machines with human roles. The challenge lies in using these perspectives not to obscure AI’s artificial nature but to create systems that support human needs without trying to replace them.

Featured Image courtesy of Marketing Technology

Web Edited by Zexuan Qu ’28