Buddhism, one of the oldest, largest, and fastest-growing religions, emphasizes intrinsic human factors. It acknowledges suffering by stating "Life is full of suffering" but also offers a rational method to eliminate it through the Noble Eightfold Path.
These eight paths are divided into three parts: Sila (Moral Discipline) includes right speech, right livelihood, and right actions; Samadhi (Concentration) covers right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration; and Panna (Wisdom) comprises right view/understanding and right intentions. These eightfold paths are the core of Buddhism.
Following these paths, along with Bhavana-maya Panna (Experiential Wisdom) through Vipassana, leads to a good life and reduces suffering.
However, what is the correlation with technological advancements?
While these principles may seem literary, they hold significant relevance in the age of technological advancements, especially in Artificial Intelligence (AI). Buddhism teaches that an action is good if it leads to freedom from suffering. Therefore, ethical AI use should aim to decrease pain and suffering.
An article by Soraj Hongladarom in MIT stresses that Buddhist-inspired AI ethics require continuous self-cultivation to eliminate suffering. The practice is more important than the goal. AI developers should align their work to reduce suffering and promote well-being.
For this to be effective, companies and governments must be accountable to the public, a concept rooted in Buddhist teachings. Effective legal and political mechanisms and judicial independence are essential for AI ethics guidelines to work as intended.
Compassion, another key Buddhist concept, involves a commitment to eliminating suffering in others and requires self-cultivation. Practicing compassion means avoiding harmful acts, such as wielding power to repress others.
One does not need to be a monk to practice Buddhist ethics but must practice self-cultivation and compassion in daily life.
Shaelyn McHugh's 2019 work linking consciousness with AI states that the five aggregates in Buddhism, or the factors that constitute a sentient being, are physical form, feelings, perceptions, mental formations, and consciousness.
Consciousness is an integrated factor of experience, an awareness of each object. It is not unique but one of several parts from which sentience emerges.
The Buddha taught that consciousness exists at different levels, so humans should have compassion to alleviate suffering for all beings. If consciousness means the ability to feel, it is an intrinsic property of everything.
Therefore, while an AI computer may have a form of consciousness, it would likely lack certain states that humans possess, or it might create new ones.
The HH Dalai Lama once remarked that he doubted AI would ever achieve consciousness but humorously suggested checking back in another incarnation. He emphasized the importance of combining experimentation and faith, highlighting that science represents experimentation while art embodies faith.
Scientists and Buddhists agree that consciousness is everywhere. Panpsychism, the belief that everything material has an element of consciousness, is an ancient theory attributed to many thinkers, including Plato.
Neuroscientist Christof Koch, working with researcher Giulio Tononi, created a tool to measure phi, a theoretical amount of consciousness, by sending a pulse into the brain and observing its reverberation through neurons. The intensity of the reverberation indicates the level of consciousness, helping determine if a subject is awake, asleep, or anesthetized.
Shaelyn McHugh further explains that consciousness may have developed over millions of years of evolution because it offers practical benefits for awareness.
While our understanding of the human brain is limited, computer scientists have created AI that self-learns based on a neural model of the human brain. This approach is unpredictable yet shows that AI can respond differently from its initial programming.
If AI ever reaches the point of being considered sentient, ethical guidance from Buddhist teachings can help navigate the complexities involved.
What insights does Humanistic Buddhism offer on the topic of artificial intelligence?
Humanistic Buddhism, one of the important field in modern Buddhism emphasis on humanistic dimensions. With the development of AI, Humanistic Buddhism is also on the stage of modernisation and advancements, thus facing constant negotiation between religious values and technology.
In his paper "Buddhist Transformation in the Digital Age: AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Humanistic Buddhism" (2024), Yutong Zheng argues that AI can be technically beneficial for the propagation of Buddhism, citing several instances where AI technology has been utilized in Buddhist practices.
By comparing Master Hsing Yun’s Buddhist ethics to “Posthuman” ethics, Zheng highlights the similarities between Humanistic Buddhism and AI ethics. Notably, Master Hsing Yun’s concept of “the nature of insentient beings” offers an important theoretical perspective on whether AI can achieve Buddhahood.
His paper suggests that the interaction between Humanistic Buddhism and AI can foster innovative uses of AI technology from both technical and ethical standpoints. However, Zheng warns that while the paper discusses cases of “Artificial Narrow Intelligence,” “Strong AI” could pose significant ethical challenges.
It might also promote a cult-like reverence for science and technology, undermining the humanistic traditions of Buddhism with a new instrumental rationality. Additionally, Humanistic Buddhism may face potential pitfalls when integrating AI. Therefore, while it is beneficial to encourage the use of AI in contemporary Buddhism, it is crucial for Buddhism to maintain a critical distance from digital technologies.
In conclusion, the linking of Buddhism with AI (Artificial intelligence), do not just focuses on the ethical dimension that should be followed by the AI developers and designers but also provides a theoretical framework between consciousness and Buddhahood.
However, a further investigation is required, and an ethical model should be developed. However, for a preliminary understanding, this can be considered a step towards comprehending this interdisciplinary topic.