Article:

Die ‹Gestalt› der KI. Jenseits von Holismus und Atomismus

«Neural networks» seem to suggest a «Gestalt» logic — and, indeed, Gestalt psychology was a frequent reference in the early days of artificial intelligence that was, however, soon supplanted by atomistic descriptions. This article suggests that we conceive of the connectionist paradigm as a third position beyond the two philosophical lineages of atomism and holism. It proposes that we instead conceptualize neural networks executed on digital machines as «mixed systems», as «quasi-holistic assemblages». It also advocates for an understanding of neural networks not only as technical structures but also as conceptual tools in their own right, which allow us to rethink holistic concepts such as «style» or «mood» as quasi-holistic.