The downside of AI has dominated the media, reaching extreme scenarios including the extinction of the human race. No one knows whether the threats presented by artificial intelligence are realistic, exaggerated, or something in between. However, in the meantime, the positive side of artificial intelligence is waiting to be discovered.
Confidant: AI isn’t human, but it can serve as a sounding board for your deepest personal issues, including things you wouldn’t even disclose to a friend. A chatbot like ChatGPT will dialogue with you in a non-threatening way, patiently listening to everything you have to say, and offering specific answers that few human confidants can provide.
Therapist and healer: There are already many artificial intelligence programs specifically aimed at helping doctors and professional therapists. For example, the promise of better cancer diagnosis is already being tested successfully. But chatbots are also useful for ordinary people who want advice on psychological and health issues.
Guru: As plausible as the other three roles, what excites me most is the potential for AI to help a person reach the deep level of wisdom that exists in human awareness. The Sanskrit roots of the word “guru” mean “disperser of darkness”; This means that the level of mind distorted by ignorance, prejudice, false beliefs, narrow-minded dogmas, religious restrictions and second-hand opinions can be transcended.
In modern times the function of the guru has needed to be overhauled, getting rid of the cult of personality, moving away from superstition about the magical qualities of enlightened beings, and alleviating the skepticism that people in the modern, secular world feel about spirituality. problems are encountered.
AI is perfectly positioned to do these things and is starting fresh, renewing the role of the guru. Deeper wisdom, if accessible, is found in consciousness; There is no other place for it to exist. Filled with a constant stream of thoughts, images, sensations, and visions, the active mind offers only a very vague picture of the deeper levels of awareness. This is similar to the difference between choppy waves on the surface of the river and the calm flow at the bottom of the river.
The subject of consciousness is as broad as the human mind but reduced to its essence; The guru’s role is to guide others to their Dharma. Dharma itself is a word with very broad meanings, but at its core, you are in your personal dharma as you live the life you were meant to live. I asked Google Bard, one of the best free chatbots for gathering reliable information, to define Dharma in simple language as understood in Buddhism, which places great emphasis on Dharma. Here’s a sample of what he had to say.
“In Buddhism, “dharma” has several layers, like an onion, but I will try to summarize it in simple terms:
Layer 1: Buddha’s teachings: Imagine it as a map that guides you away from pain and towards a happier life. This map includes things like the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, which are practical steps such as mindfulness, meditation, and ethical living.
Layer 2: Universal truth: This goes beyond the map. It’s like the rules of the universe that explain how things really work. Dharma says that everything is temporary, connected and driven by cause and effect. Understanding these truths helps you stop holding on to things and stop suffering.
Layer 3: Everything! Think of Dharma as the building blocks of reality, the little “whys” behind everything. Every blade of grass, every thought, every feeling, all is dharma in action. “When you see this interconnectedness, you feel a deep sense of unity with everything.”