What contribution can Buddhism make in the era of artificial intelligence?

 gave a speech at the 8th World Youth Seminar

Riding a blue lion 1周前

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

Speech of the 8th World Youth Buddhist Symposium

Time: July 25, 2018

Location: Chiang Rai, Thailand

Chinese translation: Xiyou translation

Buddhism: Bodhi Path, Beyond the Road to Intelligence

We are here to share the idea of ​​"What contribution can Buddhism make in the era of artificial intelligence?"

But in order to do this, we need to build a common language, a way for the scientific world to communicate with the Buddhist world – although we don't even know if there is such a possibility. However, if we can't agree on the basic definition, then in this meeting, we will only talk about each other, there is no intersection - our intentions, expressions and understanding will be different, let alone want Answer the various explorations and esoteric questions raised at this conference!

In this regard, I will only present three basic examples:

First, is it like the concept of "life", "heart", and "seemingly contradictory paradox", can science and Buddhism communicate with this?

1) Life

The conference manual asks: “Is life just data processing?” But what do we mean when we say “life”? The Oxford English Dictionary defines "life" as "the activity before death", but Buddhism does not rule out the continuation of consciousness after death.So as Buddhists, we might ask:

• Is artificial intelligence subject to continuity?

• Is it limited to the illusion of time?

• Roughly speaking, will artificial intelligence be reincarnation?

(2) heart

In this regard, what do we mean by "smart"? If we think that the human heart is only brain activity and biological function, there is no common basis for communication between science and Buddhism, because for Buddhists, the heart is a completely different thing: the heart can recognize and develop Habit, something that suffers because of hope and fear; the heart is also something that becomes extremely annoyed and out of control because of its own illusion. However, this heart can also be trained and adjusted to learn how to eliminate its own delusions. The mind is not only intelligent, but also intuitive, and has both altruistic and selfish qualities.

For "knowing", Buddhism and science may have completely different ideas. In fact, it is said that modern science is based on the principle of ignoramus (the ignorance) - this Latin word means "we don't know." It assumes that we don't know everything, and that after we gain more knowledge, everything we think we know will prove to be wrong. I really appreciate this creed.

At the same time, our Buddhists have summed up some truths. For example, "all things are inconsistent", "all emotions are bitter", "everything does not have a true self", these are truths that cannot be denied. Therefore, the starting point of scientists is "We don't know", and the starting point of Buddhists is "We have sacred truths that cannot be proved wrong", that is, "We have holy sins that cannot be falsified."

The conference manual is concerned about the concept of “singularity” and fears that technology will gradually rise to the point of being out of control, so that artificial intelligence machines will become smarter than humans, thus replacing and surpassing humans. But this is nothing new. We humans are very good at creating things that are completely out of our control: we have created a God that has become uncontrollable and the industrial revolution, and that industrial revolution has also created plastics that are now filling our oceans. Products.

In fact, it is precisely because we don’t want to suffer because we lose control because we want to stop the dual cognition that constitutes our suffering. Therefore, the Buddha’s teachings about selflessness, origin, and emptiness remain as powerful and effective as ever. Practical significance.

Of course, Buddhism does not deny the influence of the brain, or the impact of the toes or the weather. But Buddhism's "mind view" - Buddhism's insight into the heart - its vastness, subtlety and complexity far exceeds all these causes and causes. In fact, it can be said that Buddhism is a study of this "heart".

For Buddhists, even the most basic search for a reference point or “knower” is the habit we want to eliminate. If artificial intelligence can handle such elimination and trigger awareness of the two, then artificial intelligence is the Dharma, and Buddhism becomes obsolete.

However, from my very limited knowledge of artificial intelligence, I suspect that its perception of the heart is not the same as that of Buddhism. Therefore, I believe that in essence, Buddhism does not need to make any changes at all. I don't know how the artificial intelligence revolution will affect monotheistic religions such as Christianity and Islam, but I believe that Buddhists have no reason to worry. In fact, I think that after a hundred years, the Four Saints will become even more convincing and relevant, because then we will become more alienated from the real self.

Therefore, I want to know: Can artificial intelligence create a perfect world that we will never become alienated, and even overcome the alienation tendency of human beings? Is it able to deal with the subtleties advocated by Western democracies today, such as individualism, individual rights, etc., although that seems to mean an experience of alienation?

In this regard, I want to know whether artificial intelligence has the power of “belief” – including well-educated beliefs and blind faith, especially blind beliefs. These beliefs are the driving force of what we call "life" and "happiness."

(3) Appreciate the paradox of paradox

In addition to differences in how to define and use words such as “life” and “heart”, there are other obstacles between science and Buddhism that can produce meaningful dialogue. For example, although science seems to be uneasy about the paradox, that is, contradictory arguments, and tries to solve it, the essence of Buddhism is to have a deep appreciation of all contradictions, so Buddhists are trying to make themselves look Things that seem contradictory become completely free.

Therefore, at the moment when the well-trained Buddhist heart sees the form—that is, the “color”—it also ideally sees the emptiness at the same time, thus getting rid of the blind hope; when it sees the reality of the empty At the time of sexual nature, it also sees the hue at the same time, so it is free from fear.

This is why our Buddhists do not conclude that non-obvious invisible phenomena like God, reincarnation or luck do not exist, and we do not confirm that the head on the neck, the floor under the feet and the ceiling above the head do exist. In other words, we will not confirm that anything is real or not.

This is also why Thai people can learn the truth without self, that is, the reality that the self does not exist, and at the same time, without any doubt, good deeds such as worshipping temples, offering flowers or swearing people.

Therefore, for Buddhists, when color and space are separated, when there is separation between the two, when the reality and the appearance of the thing are separated, bitterness will occur. Fundamentally, as long as we do not understand these seemingly contradictory paradoxes, we will suffer.

So perhaps instead of asking "What can Buddhism offer in the era of artificial intelligence?" - this may be no different from what it has been providing - is it better to ask "Is artificial intelligence interested in the basic questions that Buddhists are concerned about?" "Perhaps not as we often assume, it may not depend on how Buddhism adapts or conforms to science, but now it may be time for scientists to try to master those that the Buddha had taught 2,600 years ago. truth.

Because the two sides have very different basic views on life, mind, and public opinion, I don't know whether it is possible to resolve the differences in definitions and viewpoints between science and Buddhism, thus creating a true dialogue. In fact, I don't even know if this dialogue today is more important than the dialogue between Buddhism and the economy, politics or poetry. I personally don't think that the latter is less important or less valuable.

But I believe that unless we first recognize and explore the fundamental differences between these views and definitions, we cannot answer the questions raised at this meeting.

Second, the ridiculous problem?

In order to expand our imagination so that we can really understand the differences between these views and definitions between science and Buddhism, we should not shy away from some seemingly ridiculous problems:

For example, suppose I have a robot as a student, his program is programmed to be calm and there is no anger, jealousy and emotions. I may be a little impressed and won't ask such a student to fix it. However, if I am a fairly good teacher, what I really want is to stop the student from having a goal that is calm and silent, or even trying to be a calm person. After all, the followers of Dharma are not trying to get the medal of the most calm or the most calm, but to get rid of all the reference points that are calm, calmer or silent.

I am not an artificial intelligence expert. My information is very limited. It comes from some articles and hearsay. For example, someone told me that fifty years later, I will be able to download myself to a computer that can think, talk, and respond like me.However, if that device also has the habits we share, such as anxiety, uncertainty, and insecurity, then it will become another ignorant sentiment, another object of compassion that requires enlightenment. In that case, the only difference between me and that device is that I was born from my mother's womb, and it was born in the lab with the help of other robots. 

There is also karma: Is it bad business to smash the computer or not to charge it? If a computer can self-program through the expert system and the feedback loop, if it can think and act like humans, then when it saves lives or kills, is there a good or bad business?

On the surface, the problem of such Buddhists may seem ridiculous, but remember that Google has invented an expert system program that developed a new exchange language that its inventors cannot understand. This prompted Google to completely shut down the system. So artificial intelligence experts and policy makers may benefit from Buddhism's insight into the nature of reality before allowing those systems to operate economically, medically, and militaryly based on internal operations that they themselves cannot understand. It is indeed no exaggeration to say that if they ignore the wisdom of Buddhism, there will be great dangers and dangers for us!

On a more mediocre level, do I prefer to have a girlfriend who speaks and acts in full accordance with what I want and need? If so, would I wonder if she is a product of artificial intelligence? Again, for those Buddhists who appreciate the reality of humanity and the uncertainty of humanity, it is clear that many people who occupy artificial intelligence are not interested in these Buddhists.

In other words, it sounds like the advocates of artificial intelligence are bragging about their systems to make things more predictable. But if that is the case, even in the world of ordinary people, there will be no more fun. After all, even if we humans think we are very disgusted with uncertainty, it is uncertainty that drives the economy, state governance, business management, and everything else in our lives. Profits stem from uncertainty; and on a personal level, we cherish this unpredictability as a romantic, love, and emotional relationship.

I was also told that artificial intelligence can extend our life, but that still does not change Buddhism's wisdom of knowing that everything is inconsistent with things. It is said that the medical system will be able to better diagnose the disease, which is of course a very good thing. However, as I have said, impermanent truths will still be true, and it is in this impermanence, uncertainty, and unpredictability that there is life.

So maybe it's time to ask: What is the purpose of artificial intelligence? If it is to make the medical diagnosis, weather forecast and other systems more accurate, so predictable, it is of course a good thing, it is to further promote what humans have been trying to do.

But is the purpose of artificial intelligence to conquer time and space by making things eternal? If artificial intelligence can actually do this, the Dharma may be outdated, because transcending time and space is what our Buddhists call "nirvana." But I suspect that it is not the motive of the creators of artificial intelligence, because they are human beings, and all the goals of scientific progress must be only to improve our human life - that has nothing to do with enlightenment.

Third, is the era of change, is it happier?

We are so excited about the latest technology and whether it can “save or destroy humanity” as asked by the conference manual, so that we have forgotten how incredibly changed the life of the technological revolution of the past.

The first revolution took place thousands of years before the birth of the Buddha. It was an agricultural revolution that transformed human society from hunting and gathering to farming. Although it has improved food security and improved the accessibility of food, it has also led to all the problems of politics, military and transportation that have plagued us today.

Then the industrial revolution brought us radios, televisions, cars, planes and other conveniences that we couldn't imagine two hundred years ago. It also brought us atomic bombs and global warming that could destroy the world. If temperatures and sea levels continue to rise, Bangkok will sink into the water within twenty years, and our grandchildren will see London flooded. Of course, if artificial intelligence can stop these things from happening, it would be great.

But the real question is: have these major revolutions of the past and the tremendous changes that have been brought about by our artificial intelligence revolution to our lives and lifestyles have made us happier? Compared with my grandparents, I can get what I want more quickly. But this speed may increase anxiety, because now it takes only one second instead of one month to get bad news. Maybe we become happy faster, but we become more upset.

So, after all these changes, before we become too excited about the new digital revolution and the artificial intelligence revolution, we should realize that one thing has not changed, that is, our basic anxiety, insecurity, ignorance and The pursuit of happiness has never changed.

As long as this continues to exist, compared with 2,600 years ago, what Buddhism can offer us now has not diminished. In fact, because Buddhism is not bound by time, place, culture or geographical environment, Buddhism can accommodate, adapt and communicate whatever needs of people or ages – including our needs in the era of artificial intelligence.

One thousand two thousand years ago, when there were less than one million humans on the planet, they lived in the constant fear of being eaten by beasts. However, as long as hope and fear still exist, whether it is the danger of being eaten by tigers or the danger that life is completely dominated by artificial intelligence after five hundred years, no matter which kind of danger, Buddha 84,000 The words in the words are still relevant to us and have substantial meaning.

4. What can Buddhism offer in this era of artificial intelligence?

If we can accept the reality of anxiety and pain, then regardless of time and rim, Buddhism can provide us with the wisdom and the convenience of being intimate, that is, the wisdom of correct understanding, and the recognition and maintenance of this insight. This wisdom is so convenient and convenient.

What is the right place to see? The righteous view is: Although things will appear, function, and seem to last, but in fact there is nothing real existence; everything is like a dream, like a mirage or a rainbow. When we don't hold this place, we suffer. In fact, this is why Buddhism believes that wisdom is better than ethics, which is why in our era of artificial intelligence, Buddhism is more effective than the moral-based system in responding to technological challenges.

As Buddhists, what we want is to understand the reality and get rid of the habit of obscuring and preventing us from seeing reality. If artificial intelligence devices can help us do this and provide information that will help us pursue reality, I would be very happy to use it.

For example, if artificial intelligence can propose a device to find out the neural channels of habit operation, dig them out and cut them off, it would be great, I will buy them. But unless artificial intelligence can deal with the basic anxiety that has plagued human existence since ancient times—these anxiety actually defines and embodies the so-called human life—otherwise, in essence, what Buddhism can offer will not change at all.

However, the way Buddhists offer unchanging ancient wisdom will change dramatically.

5. Buddhism will not change, but Buddhists must change - drastically change!

So, on the one hand, artificial intelligence does not change Buddhism and its validity and value to our world; on the other hand, Buddhists, especially traditional Buddhists, must make tremendous changes. If we want to be helpful and play a role in people, our Buddhist world must be fully aware of this difference.

Not to mention the artificial intelligence revolution, we should first admit that we Buddhists are not good at changing the way they act – what we have to do is to convey the Buddha’s message to people at the right time, in the right place, and in the right way. So that people can understand and practice it.

From Japan, Sri Lanka, China, Thailand to South Korea, Buddhists are deeply immersed in their ancient traditional culture, and those cultures have nothing to do with the essence of Buddhism, which makes them fall into the meaning that modern people think that Buddhism has nothing to do with itself. In danger.

In this regard, even the concept of culture itself must change. In our era of globalization, jeans, pop music, Hollywood and Bollywood have penetrated every corner of the world, and the concepts of nationalism and national culture may have to disappear.

Therefore, as a Buddhist, if we want to have any use for our own world, if we want to help any suffering sentient beings, we must work hard to let ourselves loose from the tightly bound cultural habits. The Buddha's message is conveyed in a way that corresponds to time, time, environment, and object.

However, these changes, including artificial intelligence, do not at all fundamentally change the way Buddhism works. As long as all beings have what Buddhism calls "heart" - other people may call it the brain or the data, no matter what you want to call it - as long as there is a heart, as long as the heart has anxiety, habits, recognition Knowledge, likes and dislikes, and subject to time, as long as existence is bitter, then Buddhism in the era of artificial intelligence is just like the time of the Buddha, and it is closely related to us.

Therefore, Buddhism will become obsolete only when binary distinction, ignorance, anxiety, hope, and fear no longer exist. Of course, this is all the goals that Buddhism wants to achieve. In fact, it is for this basic reason that Buddhists never pray that “everyone will become a Buddhist.” We only pray that “I wish all generations to form a Buddha!”