Shannon Vallor, a philosopher of technology, suggests that instead of viewing AI as a "stochastic parrot" merely echoing human language, a more apt metaphor is that AI acts as a mirror, reflecting human input back at us. This concept challenges the notion of AI possessing a mind or moral superiority. Vallor argues that the existential risk posed by AI lies not in AI itself, but in humanity's tendency to misperceive it as a genuine mind, leading to an erosion of human agency. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing human capacity to create meaning and make moral and societal changes, warning against surrendering this to AI under the guise of objectivity and progress. Drawing on existentialist thought, particularly José Ortega y Gasset's idea of "autofabrication" or self-making, Vallor warns against the societal shift toward viewing humans as mere predictive machines, mirroring AI. She critiques the field of machine ethics, cautioning that crowdsourcing morality could lead to ethical failings, advocating instead for morality to remain constantly contested and open to challenge. Vallor highlights the virtue of practical wisdom, or phronesis, essential to adapt our moral responses to new situations.

She expresses concern over cognitive automation depriving us of opportunities to hone such wisdom, leading to intellectual and moral deskilling. While understanding the transhumanist impulse to transcend human flaws, Vallor advocates for acknowledging what makes the human condition meaningful. She suggests that morality is deeply intertwined with human existence and relationships, grounded in mutual care, rather than a universal concept that AI could understand better. This reflects her optimism about the potential for human-driven moral progress.