THE PROBLEM OF INTENTIONALITY IN AI-GENERATED LANGUAGE: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE

Abstrak

The development of generative artificial intelligence has brought significant changes to communication and educational practices, while also raising fundamental questions about the nature of language, particularly whether expressions generated by AI can possess meaning and intentionality in the same way as human language. This issue has become increasingly relevant as students, educators, and the wider public use technologies such as ChatGPT for learning, communication, and knowledge production. This study aims to critically analyze the concept of intentionality in AI-generated language from the perspective of the philosophy of language, focusing on the relationship between linguistic form, meaning, and communicative intention. The study employs a qualitative approach with an interpretive case study design. The participants consist of 12 individuals, including English language students and lecturers who have experience interacting with generative AI. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and an analysis of human–AI conversation documents, and were then analyzed thematically to identify patterns of meaning-making and attribution of intentionality. The findings reveal three main themes: the tendency of humans to attribute intentionality based on the coherence of AI responses, the distinction between apparent meaning and human communicative intention, and the role of context in shaping interpretations of AI-generated language. The study contributes theoretically to expanding discussions in the philosophy of language concerning intentionality in machine-based communication and practically emphasizes the importance of critical AI literacy in English language education.