What does XAI/MechInterp buy the humanities?

Keynote by Anders Søgaard, University of Copenhagen

Abstract: In philosophy of science, the epistemic status of XAI/MechInterp is widely debated. My position here is something to the effect of XAI/MechInterp can be used to tighten a probabilistic story, but not give you hard evidence (beyond what the induction methods we are trying to explain, already provide us with). But what about the humanities? Definitions of the humanities come in many flavors, from definitions emphasizing the study of the human condition by analytic, critical or speculative means, to definitions that focus on the intellectual attempt to broaden the possibilities of human freedom. Here, XAI/MechInterp can quite possibly become an important tool.

Section 1: What does XAI/MechInterp buy the humanities?