The Difference Between Substituting a Function and Replacing a Person. Why Do We Question Artificial Intelligence So Much?

Artificial intelligence is often portrayed as a technology destined to replace human beings. However, much of this debate stems from a conceptual confusion: equating the substitution of functions with the replacement of persons. This letter offers a reflection on the way we interpret artificial intelligence and questions the tendency to attribute human characteristics to it, such as intention, consciousness, or free will. Through a conceptual examination of the transformation that artificial intelligence has introduced into the construction of algorithms, it argues that the real challenge is not to determine whether machines can replace human beings, but rather to reconsider what we mean by intelligence, identity, and human uniqueness. It is argued that artificial intelligence may substitute certain cognitive functions, but this does not imply replacing a person, whose identity transcends the functions they perform. This distinction provides a framework for rethinking the contemporary debate on artificial intelligence from both epistemological and anthropological perspectives.