The Buddhist Insight Network (BIN) was founded to serve the Insight meditation sangha leadership community. The BIN website provides geographically organized links to sangha and retreat center websites. On Zoom, BIN hosts regular Intersangha gatherings for teachers, sangha leaders, and retreat managers to discuss Buddhist teachings, practical issues of sangha management, the future of Insight meditation, and how we together can benefit the community of all beings. These gatherings take the form of an email group, Intersangha Teas on Zoom, and forums and presentations on specific topics of interest.
Recently, there have been concerns about Artificial Intelligence, its capabilities, and how the community of dharma practitioners and leaders might help to ensure an ethical foundation for future iterations of this inevitable technology. To provide a deeper understanding of AI, Randima Fernando created the presentation below. A past BIN Board member, a current member of the Spirit Rock board, and co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology, Randy is fluent in Buddhist principles and the tech world, making him a perfect person to share this fascinating look at Artificial Intelligence and Buddhism.
One Reply to “Navigating the Artificial Intelligence explosion with Buddhist wisdom”
Great presentation. Viewers may also be interested in this discussion from the ‘a secular dharma?’ channel:
Crafting Dharmic AI: Aligning AI with dharmic discourses.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ5GzrCpHQ0
Elfie, Rupert, and Gary discuss the implications of AI, secular dharma, and human evolution. Gary reflects on a seminar with Stephen Batchelor, noting that while nothing fundamentally new was said, the clarity and directness of the discussion were notable.
The conversation then shifts to the existential threat posed by AI, expressing surprise that it’s not a more central topic in contemporary discourse. Gary is working on a project to teach AI about secular dharma and human behavioral evolution, aiming to align AI’s values through a curated model of discourse rather than absolute truths.
Gary discusses the process of collecting and curating playlists and sources on secular dharma and human behavioral evolution. They aim to build a model to teach AI dharma, emphasizing the importance of discourse in shaping AI’s understanding and alignment. The project involves transcribing videos, creating coherent paragraphs, and developing models to sit alongside other large language models (LLMs) to influence their values. The speaker also mentions their involvement in the Indonesian Open Technology Foundation, promoting open-source programming and tools for AI development.
The conversation delves into the challenges of AI, particularly the unpredictability and ethical implications of emergent behaviors in complex systems like LLMs. The speaker discusses the need for robust testing, oversight, and interdisciplinary collaboration to ensure AI systems align with societal values and ethical principles. They express concern about the median representation of human thought in AI, emphasizing the need for a broad range of discourses to maintain human choice and control over AI’s development.
The discussion touches on the potential of AI to accelerate progress and the irony of programmers being among the first affected by AI’s advancements. The speaker reflects on the societal implications of robotics and AI, advocating for preparedness and political adjustments to address the displacement of jobs and economic changes. They suggest that universal basic income (UBI) might become necessary as automation increases.
The conversation goes on to explore the philosophical and moral aspects of AI and human evolution. The speaker argues for the importance of aligning AI with beneficial values and discourses, asserting that humans have evolved to cooperate and be generally nice to each other. They express hope that AI, influenced by human values and secular dharmas, could contribute positively to the future, despite the challenges and uncertainties involved. The discussion concludes with a reflection on the trustworthiness of influential figures and the need for a focused, ethical approach to AI development.