I am also trying to process how His insights into the evolution of human language from His philological works can also be drawn upon in understanding what kind of intelligence an AI can execute and what it might not, because language plays a big role in the development of AI, etc.
Sri Aurobindo seems to have had an indirect prediction in early cultural writings that a future aristocracy will be an aristocracy of thought, and mass of humans have not really learned how to think. If the intelligence and cognitive skill of a software engineer can be executed by a machine, what kind of cognition cannot be replicated and replaced? I don’t know how to fit these questions within the framework of Sri Aurobindo’s insights on different kinds of workings of sense-mind, physical mind, vital mind, etc…
Seeking some direction in this regard, what is the kind of intelligence one needs to cultivate in the face of such a challenge? And also, do humans being a fusion of physical, vital, and mental beings placed within certain circumstances in time and space make a difference here because AI seems to be a purely disembodied intelligence? I know the topic is complicated and large, but I really need some light on this.
First thing first. All powers of nature are in their essence formless or ‘disembodied’. They use bodies formed by nature to express and manifest their potencies. It is somewhat like an artificial heart-lung machine or artificial limb that can perform the functions of the natural organ, sometimes even better. The difference, however, lies first in the mutual integration of the different functions of the different organs. The human brain can be affected and influenced by emotions and past experiences, or personal goals, ethics, etc. AI is cold-blooded and hence it will depend upon its user as to how its capacities are used. It has potential for much good but also much evil.
Secondly, unlike the brain, which not only learns from its experiences but also modifies and adapts to the demands of the future, this is, for the moment, not possible for AI, creating a severe limitation.
Thirdly and most importantly, the human mind has possibilities beyond its usual functions of memory, judgment, calculation, language. It is in a total holistic assessment which includes taking into account the totality of the situation, creativity, lateral thinking, higher aspiration and of course spiritual experiences that can completely change our self-view and world-view. Whether real or not, human beings have a choice and evolve through it, through the various challenges we encounter. There is no self-evolution in a machine. They still need a human master to evolve in terms of capacity, though not necessarily in quality.
In other words, there is a lot of hype around the AI, which is understandable. Yet even though it can perform certain functions of the human mind better in terms of speed and accuracy but human intelligence has so much more that an AI cannot replicate. Whether it can do so or not in the future is yet to be seen, but right now it has created a crossroad of civilisation. Use AI extensively and lose your natural capacities and their evolutionary possibility through the challenges of life. Or else keep it as yet another instrument for practical purposes within its limited range, but never as a substitute for the much more comprehensive human thought.
Let’s see which way mankind goes, the regressive or the evolutionary, using AI as a substitute for human intelligence or an instrument to supplement it.
Affectionately,
Alok Da
