Tantra and Tatwa

Today, the most talked-about subject is artificial intelligence. This topic is being discussed at various levels in every family. There is a mix of curiosity, fear, and uncertainty about what the future holds regarding artificial intelligence. What impact will artificial intelligence have on our lives, and how should we use it? This article attempts to shed light on some aspects of these questions.

If we view the history of human civilization through the eyes of Yuval Noah Harari, it can be broadly divided into two parts: the era of Homo Sapiens and the era of Homo Deus.

Homo Sapiens refers to the generation after chimpanzees, which we call humans. For the past 70,000 years up to about 12,000 years ago, Homo Sapiens were our ancestors. Their most significant characteristic was communication and collaboration, which allowed them to progress more than any other species. It is said that if a group size exceeds 150 members and if it lacks proper communication and collaboration, it will eventually fall apart, leading to the extinction of the species. This happened with Neanderthals and many other species. However, Homo Sapiens’ initiative and ability of dreaming and thinking ahead, which helped them dominate the Earth despite being less powerful than other species.

The period from the last 12,000 years to the past 10-15 years is the era of Homo Deus. Their characteristic was not only better communication and collaboration, but also the ability to create tools. By creating new tools, they improved human life. As a result, physical labour decreased while intellectual work increased. Humans kept reaching new heights of development. However, in the last 10-15 years, a new element has emerged: the Digital Species or Digital Companions.

Today, it is evident that we spend more time with our mobile phones, which are a form of digital companions, than with our family or friends. This means that our mobile phones are becoming our digital companions. In such a time, it becomes essential to evolve processes and mechanisms to know how to maintain the human spirit and passion, and how artificial intelligence might change our lives.

If we were to create a human replica, it would take about 9 months, whereas a digital replica of a human can be created in less than 9 seconds. Due to the quick creation of digital companions, we are becoming increasingly attached to them.

Those slightly familiar with digital technology might know this, but those who are only familiar with Facebook, WhatsApp, or other social media might not realize how much these platforms use artificial intelligence. Current statistics regarding Facebook show that:

• Facebook, by analyzing 10 likes, knows you better than your colleagues.

• Facebook, by analyzing 70 likes, knows you better than your friends.

• Facebook, by analyzing 150 likes, knows you better than your family.

• Facebook, by analyzing 300 likes, knows you better than your spouse.

This is the power of artificial intelligence. In the past, it took a very long time to get to know a person, but now, with the help of artificial intelligence and digital platforms, understanding a person has become quite easy. It is said that we have 270 types of emotions expressed through 7,000 different combinations of expressions. Analyzing so many expressions to understand emotions is very difficult for an ordinary human, and we often make mistakes in knowing a person. In contrast, with the help of artificial intelligence, we can easily analyze a person's speech, voice modulation, facial expressions, and body language to understand their emotions or mood. However, artificial intelligence can tell what something is, but not why a person feels a certain way.

This means that artificial intelligence (AI) can provide a possibility, but it is a possibility without the sentiments, emotions, and sensibility of a human being. Due to advancements in artificial Intelligence and allied technologies, we have reached a point where Homo Deus and Digital Species are merging, and we need to appropriately blend possibility with sentiment, emotions, and sensibility of human beings.

Today, with the help of WhatsApp and various social media platforms, we communicate a lot, but this communication is becoming devoid of sentiment, emotions, and sensibility. Instead of asking a close friend or knowledgeable person, we first look for answers on Google or ask ChatGPT. These tools are promoted as helping to empower humans, which is true to some extent. But empowering is different from building self-confidence, moral courage, and willpower. Artificial intelligence cannot increase self-confidence, willpower, and moral courage. To build self-confidence, willpower, and moral courage, we need to turn towards spirituality and increase our emotional quotient, action quotient, and positive quotient.

Artificial intelligence can be our trusted system, but it can never be a trusted system with emotions, one that we can trust with our feelings. This means that artificial intelligence cannot transform hearts, even though it can contaminate thoughts. Heart transformation requires a principles-driven approach. Artificial intelligence is a tool. Without the proper combination of tools and principles, it will become increasingly difficult to bring about change in the future. Now, let us understand through some examples how we can use these tools and principles for transformation.

We all have heard about Swami Vivekananda. Many believe that his teachings are becoming more relevant today. We can learn about Swami Vivekananda's thoughts by reading his numerous books. However, finding answers to our questions in his books can take a long time, and we might give up due to a lack of time. In such a situation, we can use the combination of Swami Vivekananda's “thoughts and principles” and “artificial intelligence” to bring positive changes in people's lives.

Today, with the help of technology, we can bring all of Swami Vivekananda's literature, experiences, letters, meeting minutes, and answers to questions asked during his time onto one platform and analyze them with artificial intelligence. Then we can ask this platform what advice Swami Vivekananda would give if he were here today for any problem we face.

There is an anecdote related to tools and principles involving Vinoba Bhave. Vinoba Bhave started the Bhoodan Movement, traveling across India on foot, requesting people with excess land to donate it to landless farmers to improve their lives. During this movement, many Naxalites came to Vinoba Bhave, asking him to join their cause to expedite the implementation of the Bhoodan Movement. Vinoba Bhave told the Naxalites that the Bhoodan Movement could be more effectively implemented through transformation and not by brute force. He tried to explain this to them in various ways. But the Naxalites believed that this work could be done more quickly and effectively through force. Finally, Vinoba Bhave asked them one question: "Were you made Naxalites at gunpoint or through transformation?" The Naxalites were left speechless.

This is the power of principle-based transformation. Tools like guns cannot be used for a change of heart or transformation. Similarly, artificial intelligence cannot be used for a change of heart or transformation. However, if we use principles and thoughts of Vivekananda, Gandhi, Vinoba, or social reformers like Mahatma Jyotiba Phule to find answers to today's questions and reach as many people as possible, it can be done by the convergence of “artificial intelligence tools” and “thoughts and principles” of great thought leaders, helping to balance the physical and spiritual development of humanity. This convergence can be helpful in the overall development of human beings. If we fail to achieve this convergence, the possibility of the AI system being misused increases, and human society may head in the wrong direction.

In such times, it becomes essential to blend systems and essence properly, move from passive users to active creators in our relationship with technology, and balance systems and essence. We must control our time between mindfulness and mind wandering, rather than being driven by attention economy businesses inspired by artificial intelligence

We all know that humans are continuously influenced by their actions and thoughts. In other words, the layers of actions and thoughts become our habits. If our actions and thoughts change with time, humans remain flexible; otherwise, rigidity sets in. Artificial intelligence and machine learning continuously influence our actions and thoughts, recognizing and stimulating our attachments and desires, and to some extent, contaminating our thoughts. In such times, it becomes necessary to appropriately combine AI systems Principles and Human values. Further, it is essential to transition our relationship with technology from passive users to active creators. We must control our time between mindfulness and mind wandering, rather than being driven by attention economy businesses inspired by artificial intelligence.