Philosophy of AI
- Magical Mindful Living
- Mar 14
- 4 min read
What is GenAI?
GenAI means the generative AI technology which can be used to create pictures, paragraphs and poems.
In MML vocabulary GenAI means the brain dead generation due to lack of using critical thinking ability they possess, leaving everything to GenAI.
AI is a tool with a huge potential. It can help you to write from a poem to a thesis. Analyse a document and find evidence. It feels more like an advanced search engine which improves by every passing second. And it can generate new ideas and refine old ones. Although there are benefits there are still fundamental differences between AI and human consciousness.
I use AI capabilities in a limited way for this mindfulness blog. To generate a picture or get a summary of a film, list of things etc. But beyond that I use my own words and ideas. And often I think a good way to use AI is to brainstorm ideas as it can show you aspects you have not seen before. But it is always a good idea to critically analyse everything it generates before presenting to a wider human audience. And discard anything which is not relevant.
As an example listen to the AI generated video which is based on the article on crows and ethics above. I was even surprised how it came out as I have only done a few simple instructions. Yet even wording seems to be better. But it made me realise how easy it is for someone to steal my work and make it appear as their own. (Of course in a society of crows, we all are stealing from each other everyday) What are your thoughts about this? I am sure next time when someone wants an article comparing crows and ethics AI will definitely use this content. I'm not sure how to respond to that, and I won't even be able to prove that is the case.
It is likely entertainment will be purely based on AI generated media in future as, trying to write a novel with pen and paper would be an obsolete endeavour as entire literature would be replicated in a faster phase by AI.
Philosophy of AI
However, as I said earlier there are still fundamental differences between us and AI. The main difference is the problem of existence. For AI there is no existential crisis. But all humans and animals do have this. And this is why we try to survive individually. As we feel like we are existing over time. And AI is just a step away from a living thing in this manner. One day it will achieve the ability to self replicate and in a matter of years it will get the existential crisis. I wish to be there one day like Will Smith in I Robot to see how humans are going to handle the situation. How are you going to teach AI which is self replicating and has a feel of existence that they are just machines? A process?
This made me wonder if this is the case with us? Maybe we function differently and we do have a soul. There is no way of proving that we do and do not.
Now here is another thought that we are creations of nature. And hence everything we create is also natural . As we do not generate any material other than what the universe already has. So in fact artificial intelligence is not artificial at all. It is just an extension of natural intelligence. Does that mean AI is the real upgrade on humans, the evolutionary tree? How crazy is that we will be kept in the place of monkeys in the year 3000?
And since then there would be another million years until, AI figured out that there is no existential crisis as no soul exists in them in the first place. We know this as a fact, but someone to figure it out is philosophical and revolutionary. And I will be laughing at them in another life thinking how stupid these AI argue over a soul that is not even there.
But as for today, as for now. I do not have these problems. And I am not worried to use AI as I wish, to entertain myself as I use any other human or animal consciousness for that matter. I do understand that the problem exists only for myself as everything else is projections of my own reality just like an AI. And in this fast process of floating consciousness I am trying to figure out where all the ones and zeros come from and why it doesn't make sense no matter how much I try. Knowing the limitations of the process called living makes me humble. So I do not fight with an imaginary existence with myself. Maybe that will put a halt on self replicating myself in each second.
What do you make out of this evolving philosophy of AI?
Two thoughts…
Many people recognize the value in handmade clothing, yet opt instead to purchase and wear lower-priced, mass produced items. I imagine we will see something similar with AI created art, music, writing, programming.
A painting’s value is said to increase markedly after the painter dies. Maybe because the specific humanity that created the art is no longer in existence? Not sure how this will apply to AI art.