Balance vs. Synthesis
Where a balancing act can be proper, a synthesis can be powerful. In a synthesis, a deeper connection between elements is sought, which may lead to an unforeseen and original direction. A balance is an equilibrium that doesn’t readily invite originality. In many cases, that’s OK, of course. Finding a balance may defuse tensions, enabling Read the full article…
Bringing Compassion to the World through A.I.
This is the crucial idea behind the philanthropic project of Planetarianism as part of the AURELIS project. You can find a blog about Planetarianism here and a concrete overview presentation (ppsx for laptop) here. Concretely, it’s a set of projects aiming for this blog’s title. Compassion, basically, is no rosy moonshine. There are strong traditions Read the full article…
Science for Complexity
Especially in human-related sciences, holding on to a Platonean ideal is insufficient for grappling with present-day challenges. We need new science to manage complexity. A.I. can provide the necessary tools for this. Science of medicine and psychosomatics Until now, medical science has been based on a non-complex picture of the human being. This accords with Read the full article…
The Quest for Abstract Patterns
This is about creation. The creative process Some see three levels of creativity: interpolation, extrapolation, and the invention of something new/out of the box. This progress in levels goes from the domain of the known toward the domain of the not-yet-known. One can also see these levels as the possible results of an increasing discernment Read the full article…
From Intractable to Tractable = Intelligent
This is what intelligence can do: simplifying intractable problems (not easily controlled, managed, or solved) to tractable ones without much loss of relevant information. Problems may be social, mathematical, or other. Depending on the meaning of the considered terms, it may be seen as an exhaustive characterization of intelligence. However, this is not meant as Read the full article…
Global Human-A.I. Value Alignment
Human values align deeply across the globe, though they vary on the surface. Thus, striving for human-A.I. value alignment can create positive challenges for A.I. and opportunities for humanity. A.I. may make the world more pluralistic. With A.I. means, different peoples/cultures can strive for more self-efficacy, doing their thing independently and thereby floating away from Read the full article…
Is Compassionate A.I. (Still) Our Choice?
Seen from the future, the present era may be the most responsible for accomplishing the advent of Compassionate A.I. Compassion, basically, is the realm of complexity. It’s not about some commandments or a – simple or less simple – conceptual system of ethics. Therefore, instilling Compassion into a system is not a straightforward engineering endeavor Read the full article…
The Awakening (to Reality)
Especially the reality of oneself. This is largely unachievable with all too exclusively conceptual thinking. Reality is conceptual AND subconceptual, not just one or the other. An overly conceptual take leads to a toy world in perception and construction, of which present-day conceptual humanism is an unfortunate example with many dire consequences in medicine and Read the full article…
Is Gluten Sensitivity an Expectation Effect?
Many people avoid gluten in their diet because they see them as the cause for gastrointestinal and other symptoms and unwellness. Although this field receives a lot of media attention, there has been little science about mental causality up till now. Gluten (named after ‘glue’) is what makes dough elastic and bread chewy. It also Read the full article…
Human-Centered A.I.
Human-centered A.I. (HAI) emphasizes human strength, health, and well-being. To be durably so, it must be Compassionate, basically, ― properly taking into account human complexity; this is: the total person. The total person comprises the conceptual and subconceptual mind ― way beyond classical humanism and a lingering body-mind divide. From the inside out As neurocognitive Read the full article…
Consciousness is not a Thing
It is the concept with the features people like to associate with that term. Of course, this is the same as with many other terms/concepts, especially human-related ones — intelligence, feelings, motivations… Changing the question: “Will super-AI attain consciousness?” This question can be changed into a better one: “Will AI get characteristics that you want Read the full article…
OK. Lisa works. But?
Soon, Lisa will see the living daylights. There are many indications that it works indeed. Our insight is that this comes from deeper self-communication within the user. Not everybody will be delighted. Therefore, we can expect several ‘buts.’ But 1 : It is not possible that something like Lisa works on human beings. “We need Read the full article…
Depth and Distillation
Compression of knowledge may lead to crystallization into surface-level concepts ― sometimes with a loss of depth. However, starting from broad mental-neuronal patterns, compression may lead to in-depth wisdom. I call the latter a process of Inner Distillation Poetry Excellent poetry is a quintessential form of Inner Distillation. Notoriously, the poet doesn’t consciously know how Read the full article…
Why Compassion is Not about Suffering (Only)
In AURELIS setting, at least, Compassion is about mental growth as much as suffering. It’s not about suffering only. See also Two-Sided Compassion Aurelian Compassion is not pity. In many cases, pity is not wanted and doesn’t form part of Compassion. Purely by itself, surface-level pity does not diminish suffering, nor does it enhance mental Read the full article…
Theory and Practice
Resembling the difference between conceptual and subconceptual, the latter is alive while the former is efficient. This text contains somewhat idiosyncratic views upon theory and practice. Theory A theory is a conceptual description of what — why — how. The formality of the description also makes it abstractly interesting without momentary practice. Practice may come Read the full article…
The Cost of Medicine — and What AureLisa can Do about it
The enormous and heightening ‘cost of medicine’ doesn’t mean that medicine is the guilty cause. It’s part of the broader culture at the world level. Medicine flows along unknowingly ― or unwillingly to know? Anyway, the situation is dire. This is also a communication to relevant decision-makers. Mostly about psycho-somatic healthcare Nowadays, people go to Read the full article…
Will Super-A.I. Want to Dominate?
Super-AI will transcend notions of ‘wanting’ and ‘domination.’ Therefore, the title’s question asks for some deeper delving. We readily anthropomorphize the future. This time, we should be humble. Super-A.I. will not want to dominate us. Even if we might feel it is dominating (in the future), ‘it’ will not. It will have no more than Read the full article…