Interpreting through AI: A note on the possibility of weaving ancient traditions with novel technologies

Abstract

Abstract Language, like any other semiotic code, is a sign system whose forms (words, phrases, sentences, etc.) are governed by the standing for principle (SFP). However, the SFP is more complex to envision when ‘composite forms’ such as novels and dialogues are involved. In this article, and following the work of Bakhtin and Gasset, we present the idea that a composite semiotic form, such as a paragraph in a novel, does not stand for a simple referential situation only, but provides us with a context for anticipation. We show how these ideas can be expressed in the state-of-the-art language models in AI (Artificial Intelligence) and the way AI may provide us with novel directions for developing old practices of interpretation.