Artificial Intelligence as the Fourth Decentering Revolution: From Cosmic, Biological, and Psychological Displacement to Cognitive Decentering

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Erik Cambria, Rui Mao, Nicola Bianchi, Amir Hussain, Keith Oatley, Geoffrey Hinton

Published: 2026, Last Modified: 28 May 2026Cogn. Comput. 2026EveryoneRevisionsBibTeXCC BY-SA 4.0
Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is commonly framed as a technological force transforming economies, labor markets, scientific discovery, and social interaction. While these impacts are profound, they represent only the surface of a deeper historical and philosophical shift. We argue that AI constitutes a fourth major decentering revolution in human self-understanding. The Copernican revolution displaced humans from the center of the universe, the Darwinian revolution displaced humans from the pinnacle of biological life, the Freudian revolution displaced the conscious ego from the throne of the mind, and today AI initiates a cognitive decentering revolution, challenging the long-held assumption that humans occupy a unique and unassailable position at the apex of intelligence. By situating AI within historical, philosophical, and technological contexts, incorporating detailed case studies, illustrative examples, and policy analysis, this paper provides a comprehensive account of cognitive decentering and its societal implications.