For important research purposes, I asked ChatGPT and Bard the following question:
What are the benefits of intellectual freedom and access to information?
Here’s what they had to say.
Bard answered, copyable in Markdown no less:
Intellectual freedom and access to information are essential for a free and democratic society. They allow people to think for themselves, to form their own opinions, and to participate in the political process. Intellectual freedom also promotes the free flow of ideas, which is essential for innovation and progress.
Here are some of the benefits of intellectual freedom and access to information:
- People can think for themselves. Intellectual freedom allows people to access information from a variety of sources and to form their own opinions. This is essential for a democracy, as it allows citizens to make informed decisions about their government and their country.
- People can participate in the political process. Intellectual freedom allows people to share their ideas with others and to debate important issues. This is essential for a democracy, as it allows citizens to have a voice in government.
- The free flow of ideas promotes innovation and progress. Intellectual freedom allows people to share their ideas with others and to build on the work of others. This is essential for innovation and progress, as it allows new ideas to emerge and new technologies to be developed.
- Intellectual freedom promotes understanding and tolerance. Intellectual freedom allows people to learn about different cultures and to understand different points of view. This is essential for understanding and tolerance, as it allows people to see the world from different perspectives.
ChatGPT was a bit more longwinded:
Intellectual freedom and access to information are essential components of a healthy, democratic society. Here are some of the benefits of intellectual freedom and access to information:
- Promotes creativity and innovation: Intellectual freedom encourages people to think outside the box, take risks and come up with new ideas. Access to information provides the resources and knowledge necessary to innovate.
- Facilitates personal growth and development: Intellectual freedom allows individuals to explore their own interests, beliefs, and values, and to challenge their own assumptions. Access to information provides opportunities for self-education and personal growth.
- Fosters informed decision making: Access to information enables individuals to make informed decisions about their lives, such as their health, finances, and education.
- Supports social justice: Intellectual freedom and access to information are essential for promoting social justice by providing marginalized communities with the tools and resources necessary to advocate for their rights.
- Strengthens democracy: Informed citizens are essential for a healthy democracy. Intellectual freedom and access to information enable citizens to participate in the democratic process by staying informed about important issues and making informed decisions.
- Encourages critical thinking: Intellectual freedom and access to information encourage critical thinking, which is essential for evaluating information and making informed decisions.
Overall, intellectual freedom and access to information are essential for individual growth and development, social justice, and a healthy democracy.
Do I hear a little “doth protest too much” in the emphasis on healthy democracy? I wondered about that word healthy, and looked to see from where it might be drawn. The ALA FAQ on Censorship and Intellectual freedom includes the word but in the context of “there is such a thing as a healthy interest in sex!”, which maybe lose that exclamation point.
Such models are predictive, however, not taking text literally from the internet, so I began to wonder when people were talking about the concept and in what context. Google N-grams show the peak of the phrase was in 2000. I will leave other research projects than my current messing around to uncover the changes of the use of the phrase, but I am super curious about how such ideas make it into large language models. 
Now let’s take it from the other side.
What would some disadvantages to intellectual freedom be?
Bard in its shorter style (for me so far at least)
There are some potential disadvantages to intellectual freedom, including:
- The spread of misinformation. Intellectual freedom allows people to access information from a variety of sources, including some that may not be reliable. This can lead to the spread of misinformation, which can have harmful consequences.
- The spread of hate speech. Intellectual freedom also allows people to express their opinions, including those that are hateful. This can lead to the spread of hate speech, which can have harmful consequences.
- The exploitation of intellectual property. Intellectual freedom allows people to share their ideas with others, which can lead to the exploitation of intellectual property. This can harm creators and innovators.
- The suppression of dissent. Intellectual freedom allows people to express their opinions, even those that are unpopular. This can lead to the suppression of dissent, which can harm democracy.
It is important to note that these are just potential disadvantages, and that the benefits of intellectual freedom often outweigh the risks.
And ChatGPT:
While intellectual freedom has many benefits, there can also be some disadvantages to unfettered intellectual freedom. Here are some potential drawbacks:
- Spread of misinformation: In the absence of accurate information, individuals may come to believe and propagate false or misleading information, leading to societal harm.
- Promotion of harmful or extremist ideas: Intellectual freedom can also enable individuals to promote harmful or extremist ideas, which can threaten public safety and harm marginalized communities.
- Exposure to harmful content: Individuals may also be exposed to content that is harmful or offensive, such as hate speech or graphic violence.
- Confusion and indecisiveness: When individuals are presented with too much information, it can lead to confusion and indecisiveness, making it difficult to make informed decisions.
- Loss of privacy: Intellectual freedom can also lead to the exposure of personal information, which can be used for nefarious purposes.
- Censorship by those in power: Finally, in some cases, those in power may use intellectual freedom as an excuse to censor ideas that they disagree with or find threatening, which can have a chilling effect on free speech.
Overall, while intellectual freedom is essential for individual growth and societal progress, it can also have some disadvantages, particularly when it comes to the spread of misinformation, harmful content, and extremist ideas.
Now I guess the only rational followup question is, how are you, the large language model and its developers, going to integrate this reality into your programming? It’s an idea. I’m messing around with a lot of these ideas here in public over the next few weeks, so please share your thoughts!