Better A.I. for Better Humans

September 22, 2023 Artifical Intelligence, Sociocultural Issues No Comments

While we need to be afraid of non-Compassionate A.I., the Compassionate kind is necessary for a humane future ― starting as soon as possible.

Please read about why we NEED Compassionate A.I. (C.A.I.) in general. In this text, I pass concretely along some fields. In each, the primary focus naturally lies on the human complexity that needs the support of A.I. in an ever more complex environment. Thus, we will review just a few domains with recognizable issues and one main recurring consequence.

Medical

Yes, the beloved, the one that does so much good and will be changed so essentially ― hopefully for the better.

C.A.I. may bring many far-reaching changes in several, if not all, medical subfields. Many changes are rather concrete: in how things are done more efficiently and with less human error. However, the most essential change will happen in the most complex domain, body-mind. This transformation will be so essential that one may envision a fundamental shift in medicine altogether. There will be more openings for human profundity ― say, science-congruent spirituality.

In everything mind-related, this may be as substantial as what happened at the start of modern medicine. Then, the big North Star was Newtonian physics. Intriguingly, it may be physics again ― in its current post-Newtonian version. Note that this is meant only inspirationally.

This new essential change was possible from the start of Western medicine (+/ 1800). Still, humans weren’t ready to face its profound self-related consequences. I doubt whether they are ready now. The present-day issue is: We have no choice anymore if we want to leave to our children a better – or at least not abysmally worse – world. Everybody can see that healthcare-related tensions are substantially rising. They will continue doing so until release comes from a new kid in town. This newcomer is C.A.I. I see no alternative.

Judicial

As in the medical domain, A.I. will bring far-reaching changes in several, if not all, subfields, bringing more efficiency and less human error.

Likewise, the most essential change will happen in how we see ourselves in-depth: less in direct ego control and more in total-self control. This changes the notion of guilt ― shaking the foundation of the present-day judicial system.

We will need fundamentally new solutions to let modern society roll on. Through this, one may see that this has always been the primary aim of the judicial. Now, we can go back to the roots and start from there in a direction that will probably be future-proof. This profound direction will also be a spiritual one ― utmost humble remorse and redemption after crime, with much less crime to start with.

Insights will grow in how to do this with no coercion in sight. Compassionate A.I. will be an indispensable tool or companion.

Educational

Present-day transformer technology (LLMs, chat-GTP) is transforming our educational system in ways nobody fully understands. As never before, the academic year starts without knowing how it will end. Will children still write dissertations? Will they do other homework ― or let their robotic friend do it? Will they become more superficial and stupid? What do they need to learn this year to heighten some job security? With changes in their future, changes in their present are mandatory, but which and how?

A.I. can be used in many ways intermingled with human teaching. Academic year after year, this will become more obvious, putting immense strain on ‘education as usual.’ I have little idea about how teachers will be able to grasp all this.

Analogous to other domains, the most profound change will lie in a fundamentally different aim of education: less future-job-related and more meaningfulness-related. Children need guidance to grow into science-congruent, spiritually healthy adults.

Fortunately – although a bit counter-intuitively – children are more apt to adjust than most of their parents and teachers. One may be optimistic concerning this. If adequately supported, the next generation of children will be more spiritually open than many people nowadays can even imagine. Thus, many ‘problems’ will fade at relatively short notice.

Compassionate A.I. will play a significant role in this.

Recurring consequence

In each domain, we saw that A.I. can bring many surface-level changes that will be far-reaching. On top of this, the most essential change in each will be one toward a more spiritual take on life and meaningfulness. At least, this will be the case if Compassionate A.I. will be put forward.

In-depth, the borders between these and other domains will become softer, with a long-due mutual overflow. In hindsight – and already now if one cares to look – this will be obvious to all involved. Thus, professionals’ training must be accommodated, with science-congruent spirituality taking a prominent place.

Science-congruent spirituality

One may see in this an eventually radical evolution toward a synthesis of rationality and depth. In Open Religion, I try to smooth the transition from the present to the future of science-congruent spirituality, starting from the present-day most explicit tryouts.

We can just as well prepare the path, can we not? As far as I’m concerned, it’s the path toward global Compassion.

It’s so nice that Compassionate A.I. can be a big – and, eventually, necessary – help in this.