Michel de Montaigne’s Library Contrasted with ChatGPT AI’s

The internet represents an immense set of knowledge that we experience and parse in different ways. It is illuminating to contrast today’s body of knowledge and ways of knowing with sixteenth century intellectual Michel de Montaigne’s (1533–1592).

Michel de Montaigne, the famous sixteenth-century French philosopher, compiled his ideas, philosophy, and work into his Essays, which serve as an extensive reflection of his experiences. Contrasting his ways of gathering knowledge with today’s technology is enlightening. Montaigne had a personal library that was eclectic and large. He used various sources and authors to support his arguments and ideas. He frequently wrote quotes from the books in his library and cited specific thinkers and works throughout his writing.

Chatbots, on the other hand, depend on the vast amount of text shared by individuals from various cultures and educational backgrounds. They are capable of generating outcomes that blend peer-reviewed academic content with the informal language used by teenagers, as well as the rhetoric of dictators and ideologues. This mix can lead to Chatbots spreading misinformation rapidly to millions of information consumers.