Picture yourself choosing pizza over salad. It feels like a personal decision, right? Now imagine an artificial intelligence making that same choice. Did it really decide, or did it just calculate probabilities? In 1588, philosopher Thomas Hobbes argued that free will is a myth and that we’re all merely pulling levers. Today, AI curates our playlists, pilots our cars, and even advises on criminal cases. So are machines genuinely making decisions, or are we being fooled by an illusion? Let’s dive into this topic with real-world examples, an unplugged discussion style, and a peek at what the future holds.

What Exactly Is AI Free Will?

Imagine free will as steering your own ship, giving you the power to pick a nap instead of diving into work. Yet Thomas Hobbes insisted that every moment is merely the next link in an unbroken chain of cause and effect, shattering the idea of true choice. Now, AI steps in and blurs the line even more: when an algorithm serves up your next Netflix binge, is it making a conscious pick or just running through lines of code? 

We humans spice our decisions with emotion and spontaneous sparks of creativity, while AI relies strictly on data and algorithms. So what’s left of free will when even our own machinery seems to call the shots?

How Does AI Decide Things?

AI doesn’t make choices like humans do. It doesn’t weigh emotions, hesitate, or change its mind. Instead, it follows a structured process built on logic, data, and algorithms. Here’s how that process unfolds:

• Data Collection: AI begins by gathering raw input. This could be your streaming history, GPS data from your car, or sensor feedback from your smartwatch. Every click, pause, or movement becomes part of a growing dataset that helps the system understand your behaviour.
• Pattern Recognition: Once it has sufficient data, AI begins to identify trends. Maybe you binge science fiction every weekend or brake hard near intersections. These patterns help the system predict what you’re likely to do next or what you might enjoy.
• Mathematical Processing: AI doesn’t guess. It runs statistical models, decision trees, and probability calculations to determine the most likely outcome. It’s not thinking, “What feels right?”; it’s computing, “What’s most probable based on past behavior?”
• Action Execution: Based on those calculations, AI takes action. It might recommend Dune for your next movie night, adjust your route to avoid traffic, or apply the brakes in a split second. The response is fast, precise, and entirely data-driven.

Think of AI as a precision engine. It doesn’t improvise or reflect; it reacts. The same inputs will always produce the same outputs. There’s no curiosity, no instinct, and certainly no “just because” moments. AI doesn’t decide. It performs.

What Does AI Look Like in Real Life?

Do Self-Driving Cars make Decisions?

Autonomous vehicles do not think like people; instead, they follow preprogrammed regulations. In a life-or-death situation, such as the trolley problem (save five pedestrians or the passenger?), AI does not consider morality. Instead, it chooses an action based on coded priorities, such as reducing legal risk over ethical reasoning.

Can AI predict criminal behaviour?

Consider COMPAS, an AI system used in courts to predict criminal risk. While intended to help judges, it has been accused of racial bias because it draws on inaccurate historical data. This demonstrates that AI “decisions” often reflect human biases, rather than actual judgment or fairness.

Does AI have free will?

At its core, AI does not make true decisions; instead, it adheres to statistical patterns and guidelines set by humans. When AI “decides” something, consider whether it is truly thinking or simply following a sophisticated formula.

Is AI Free Will Just a Trick?

Yes, AI’s “free will” is an illusion; at its foundation, it follows code, patterns, and pre-established rules. Every decision it takes is a calculated outcome, not a genuine choice.
Philosophers weigh in:

• Determinism: Everything is predetermined. AI is a poster child; its actions are predetermined.
• Compatibilism: considers limited freedom. Maybe AI gets a pass for acting inside its boundaries?
• Existentialism: Holds that we create our own meaning, while AI just parrots it; there are no self-created goals.
• Illusionism: Free will is a convenient lie. According to Daniel Dennett, AI can convincingly imitate human behavior, but it still exhibits puppet-like characteristics.

How’s AI Different from Us?

Here’s a rapid comparison to set the stage:

AI may seem like it’s making independent choices, but once you examine how it works, you’ll see it’s simply following programmed instructions.

Can AI Ever Break Free?

Not quite. AI remains tethered to data, not imagination. It can simulate unpredictability, but that doesn’t mean it’s free.

• Random Twists: Injecting randomness, like rolling a digital dice, can make AI less predictable, but it doesn’t grant genuine freedom. The system still operates within predefined boundaries.
• Reinforcement Learning: AI improves through trial and error, as seen in AlphaGo’s legendary gameplay. Yet every move is driven by a goal, not a spontaneous desire.
• AGI Aspirations: Futurist Ray Kurzweil predicts Artificial General Intelligence by 2045. Even then, he stresses adaptability, not true independence.
• Self-Tuning Code: Some AI systems can modify their own algorithms, but they still follow logical rules. There’s no leap into original thought.
• Quantum Computing: Quantum mechanics introduces randomness, but randomness alone doesn’t equal decision-making. It’s noise, not nuance.

AI may evolve, but it has not yet crossed the threshold into conscious autonomy. It doesn’t imagine, reflect, or choose for the sake of choosing. Not yet.

How Do AI Decisions Affect Us?

AI decisions influence our daily lives in subtle ways that we are often unaware of.

Personalized Recommendations: AI curates what we see on social media, streaming platforms, and shopping websites, influencing our decisions and preferences based on our previous actions.

Echo Chambers: Algorithms on platforms such as Facebook and YouTube feed us content that confirms our existing beliefs, limiting our exposure to diverse perspectives and reinforcing biases.

Hiring & Job Search: AI used in recruitment procedures may unintentionally favor candidates based on biases in past data, influencing who is employed and who is not.

Healthcare Algorithms: AI technologies used in healthcare can make diagnoses or prescribe therapies, but these systems may be biased if not adequately trained on different datasets.

Credit Scoring: Many credit scoring systems utilize artificial intelligence to determine loan eligibility, which can sometimes rely on biased data or inaccurate models that disproportionately harm specific populations.

Predictive Policing: AI-powered systems used by law enforcement to anticipate crime hotspots or individual risk may unintentionally perpetuate racial biases, impacting policing practices.

Retail & Shopping: Artificial intelligence-powered algorithms follow your shopping habits, personalize adverts, and recommend products, quietly influencing your purchasing decisions without your knowledge.

Surveillance: As facial recognition technology advances, it becomes more accurate on lighter skin tones, altering how people are observed and treated in public places.

AI isn’t neutral; it reflects the biases of its creators and the biases inherent in its training data. It doesn’t make fair choices, but deliberate ones, often reinforcing existing disparities. Whether we notice it or not, AI shapes our reality.

How to Keep AI in Check?

AI is powerful, but it’s not untouchable. Developers and institutions are establishing safeguards to ensure it remains aligned with human values and the public interest. Here’s how:

• EU AI Act: Demands transparency from AI systems, requiring clear explanations of how decisions are made.
• U.S. Algorithmic Accountability Act: Promotes regular audits to check for bias and fairness, although enforcement still varies across sectors.
• Collaborative Intelligence: Systems like IBM’s Watson, which support doctors in diagnosing cancer, show that AI works best when paired with human expertise.
• Ethical Design: Developers are tasked with embedding justice and fairness into AI models, despite these concepts being complex and subjective.

With the right mix of regulation, collaboration, and ethical oversight, we can guide AI’s growth without letting it slip out of control.

Conclusion:

AI doesn’t have free will. It doesn’t make choices the way people do; it follows instructions, patterns, and data. What might appear to be a decision is actually just a calculation. Still, these systems affect our lives in real ways, from what we watch to how we’re judged. That’s why it’s essential to comprehend how AI operates and to establish guidelines that ensure it remains fair and accountable. As AI continues to grow, we must remain engaged, ask questions, and ensure it serves people, not the other way around.

The question is, how do you see the future of AI? Comment Below!