Language.
Language is the root of all human civilizations.
Language is the vehicle that allowed for everything we know to exist.
Without entering philosophical digressions, we could even claim that if something doesn’t have a name/definition/identifier, then it is not available for human cognitive consumption.
Considering language as the foundation of Everything we can then safely assume that A.I. is simply one of the discoveries made possible by the shared communication vehicle that is language.
We can walk further on this premise and consider A.I. as an aggregate of language instances, completed by statistics, mathematical models, algorithms et cetera.
So we have clarified the connection between language and A.I., meaning that without language as a vessel, A.I. would not exist since communication would not be possible.
Now, how is language connected to etymology?
First, let us define “Etymology”.
Myrriam-webster defines Etymology as:
“The history of a linguistic form (such as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language”.
Through this definition, we can easily understand the importance that etymology has in the understanding of any language(s), since it does not halt at the linguistic level, but proceeds much deeper in its research.
Having clarified the connection between language and etymology, we only have one remaining point to discuss, which was also our initial question(s):
How is etymology connected to A.I. and how can it influence A.I.?
Having already explained the connection, we will focus on the influence.
This can be done through the concept of intentional speaking.
Intentional speaking can be explained as the aim to communicate effectively, authentically, and with clarity. It involves aligning words with intentions, values, and desired outcomes.
Expanding on this concept, as daily providers and receivers of linguistic inputs and outputs, the more precise and intentional our daily exchanges are, whether in person or not, the more clear and precise we can make our language, thus improving A.I. in general.
Unfortunately, we cannot be intentional in our daily interactions if we are not clear on HOW to send the message in the clearest and purest form, straight from our mind to our listener’s mind. We might know what we want to say, but being articulate and precise is another matter entirely.
To sum and close, etymology helps us speak and think intentionally, which in turn can feed cleaner datasets to the A.I., which in turn will provide better answers thus furthering our innovative mindset, which is the cornerstone of all civilizations.