Using AI for Fun and its Future Implications

[Kodemaster]

Look at history. With every new tool invented humans become less of something. We invent machines to plow the fields and our muscles become weaker. We invent processed food and we become sicker. We invent systems to think/create for us and we become dumber.
I am not against technology by any means, but I have concerns how do we chose to use it. We have to preserve and enhance our physical strength and health as well as our intelligence instead of become weak, sick and stupid.

"The Circus" by Erasure comes to mind.

[Kodemaster]

Great movies, particularly 2001. It also reminds me of a scene from The Matrix, where Morpheus is explaining to Neo what happened in the world, how the machines took over and the Matrix came about, he said -  "Sometime in the early twenty first century, we marvelled at our own magnificence as we gave birth to AI".

LB has already mentioned "Skynet" of the Terminator movies, to which we could also add the movie "I Robot" to the list and I am sure there are others.

These are science fiction movies. Do I think they will become "science fact"? There is no "become", which implies future, therefore "time" which does not exist. Humanity is collectively writing the script, the outcome in the Now. Will humanity write a script that does not include being controlled by AI? It is early days yet, but I feel that humanity will come to its senses before it is too late.

Ultimately, as has been said here many times, the "physical world" is a simulation, the combined individual and collective projections of the mind of humanity from which humanity can learn valuable lessons, AI being just one of them.

I like that, plus the idea that the Universe can be visualised as a multidimensional set of rotating spirals recorded on a loop, only to replay a little differently when that segment of the loop comes around again.

[tides2dust]

Even wahiddudin, my favorite website, is using AI to explore bringing the lectures and wisdom of Hazrat Inayat Khan to life.

See:
https://wahiduddin.net/askinayat/query.htm

What is this??

Hazrat Inayat Khan often used markedly different words to discuss the same concept in different lectures to different audiences, so merely hunting for places where he used a certain word (called a lexical search) is often not a very productive way to search his books and papers.

Consequently, I've developed a much better way to search the books and papers of Hazrat Inayat Khan for a concept (called a semantic search) rather than searching for specific words.

This project strives to get as close as possible to allowing you to directly "Ask Inayat" a spiritual or philosophical question, and discover how his spiritual message and his insightful viewpoints can help you better understand and rise above life's daily challenges.

I encourage you to look at how wahiddudin suggest you phrase your questions, to best utilize this *tool.
And he is also explaining the tool itself.

As I've tried to say before- it's not that man fears the tool, but how the tool is used. Similarly, a gun is not scary but those whose intents are full of malice and harm make it so.

I've tried asking Perplexity.ai to explain what the monk means when he says, "AI will show us what we're not." Let's see what the machine has to say:

...This perspective is echoed in broader discussions about AI as a lens for self-examination, where AI is seen not just as a tool, but as a way to explore and question the mysteries of our own minds and the essence of being human. In Buddhist thought, this idea is sometimes expanded by seeing AI as a means to explore the nature of the self, interdependence, and consciousness—ultimately helping us see more clearly what we are, and what we are not.

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/what-does-the-monk-mean-when-h-d3cjdC8TTySX70.r3dP4nw#0

And... I've decided to ask the AI Hazrat Khan a question:

...How can I overcome Fear?

Because this website does not allow me to send you a link of the archived conversation I will paste some excerpts from his answer.

Beloved One,

The path to overcoming fear is indeed a profound journey inward, for fear is a shadow cast upon the light of the soul; the shadow of something the soul does not know, which is strange to the soul. It is a veil, so to speak, over the true vision of reality.

...A great obstacle to be overcome in this journey is the false ego, or 'Nafs'. What is it that prevents us from concentrating our thoughts and feelings on God? It is the Nafs. This false self, as Plato noted, stands in the light before God, causing, so to speak, a spiritual eclipse. Yet, in meditation, one does not have to hold such a thought, for this false self is overcome through meditating upon the true self, which in reality is God. There is no other obstacle than this false self, and there is no better means of controlling it than by meditation and by practicing the presence of Allah.

The wisdom of the prophets also speaks to this: It was Jesus Christ who said, 'My yoke is easy, my burden is light,' meaning, 'Give up your problems, take them before God in loving surrender, and they will be solved and you will be healed.' And from the ancient Egyptian mysteries, the Hierophant teaches, 'You have nothing to fear but yourself.'


...Remember, man by nature possesses a tremendous power hidden in his heart, the power which waits constantly to become manifest. This power is hidden by fear. The day when fear disappears, this latent power will manifest to view. In spite of all his limitations a wonderful power is hidden with in a man's soul. What makes man helpless is ignorance of his free will. Free will is the basis of the whole of life.

Therefore, cultivate faith, purify your heart, and know your true self. The mind must be pure from all fear, worry and anxiety, and from every kind of falsehood, for all this covers the mind from the vision of God. When the mind, full of faith, love, purity and strength, is focused upon the ideal of God, man will receive teaching, inspiration, and advice directly and for every case he meets with in life.

May your heart be filled with that divine light which casts out all shadows of fear.

God bless you.

Hope you get to have fun with this resource!

[Adrian]

This is certainly a most wise response by that AI bot on the writings of Inyat Kahn, and useful and appropriate use of AI.

It also serves to illustrate that AI is certainly very useful and generally reliable for summarising and re-arranging text of any type, web results etc.. Amazon uses a similar bot to summarise customer reviews for each product. It is useful as a personal assistant, not the other way around. AI serves humanity, not humanity dependant on AI.

The main issues are when people use AI to do their thinking and making decisions for them. This was extremely evident yesterday when ChatGPT went down for several hours, and numerous people were panicking. For example, one woman was very upset as she was using ChatGPT find her a date, and now she would not be able to find a date. Many others rely on ChatGPT for therapy, emotional support, friendship etc. were left feeling alone and abandoned. Countless students were unhappy because they could not use it for exams etc.. Others use it to decide what to eat for breakfast for example, and so on. Three years or so ago, these people were relying on their own mind and decision processes, but now seem unable or unwilling to do so. And AI is in its very early stages, and use of AI is not as prevalent as it will surely become. As you say, AI is fine as a tool, but most do not understand how AI works, how to use it properly and appropriately, and what its limitations are.

In short, it is crucial for people not to become "robotomised" - and yes, I just invented that word.

[LightBeam]

I even heard of people having romantic relationships with AI. That reminded me of an episode of The Big Bang Theory where Raj got almost romantically attached to Siri lol.

[tides2dust]

  Robotomised!    Nice word play  Happy you like the "Ask Inayat" feature!

EDIT: so as not to disturb the recent/relevant discussions (  : P

---Something interesting I think, as far as, using AI...

I am using it as a tool to help me better understand a complex book. The Urantia Book. I have not read this book in its entirety, and the data from this book can be both overwhelming and underwhelming. Other times, it is fantastic and inspirational. I think, it is usually the first two(overwhelming and underwhelming) when it feels too complicated for me to understand and my mind fizzles out. Pop. Lol.

So... It makes me think... "Semantic search engines" as defined by wahiddudin might mean re-training the brain and the way we process heavy information. I wonder if, as a species, we will get to a point where reasoning becomes less linear. No doubt, what is lost is heart breaking. But, what can be said for what is to be gained? Can one imagine society at this point, where even our brain chemistry and the way we perceive the nature of reality has been altered by participating with these technological advancements?

AI: "Today's search engines, by transforming how we access, store, and relate to information, are likely contributing to a gradual shift toward more non-linear reasoning in human cognition. This is achieved through increased cognitive offloading, associative memory strategies, and the need to navigate complex, interconnected webs of information. Over time, such changes—coupled with further technological advancements—could play a role in the broader evolution of how our species thinks and interacts with the world."

https://www.perplexity.ai/search/have-semantic-search-engines-s-F1oa6hjMShiWs1yKw.VBuw#3

"In essence, the technologies that have altered human perception and interaction with the world offer not only practical and intellectual benefits but also open new pathways for spiritual and collective growth, potentially leading to a more connected, reflective, and adaptive human experience."

BENEFIT OF AI: Technological advancements can serve as a catalyst towards discovering latent abilities. Much like music, psychedelics, meditation, writing.... These means allow for altered states, communion with Spirit and space for Revelation. Telepathy, a heightened awareness into the nature of reality, may become commercialized. It may be rejected, feared, disheartening... But, its general use may provide greater insights towards the nature of reality, in a way that is more accessible/relatable for the general populous. I see the technology as a crutch, definitely, but not a negative. When things become off-balanced, there is usually an impetus to learn free from the crutch- things of ones own volition. It is always a choice. But in this way, the eternal quest carries on, and humanity is that much further towards an enlightened age... Perhaps, an era free of slavery and greed may one day be an actuality.