EVEN as the world goes ahead with its romance with Artificial Intelligence (AI) -- at the current AI Impact Summit in New Delhi or elsewhere -- serious spiritual issues, too, are springing up in the discourse. The New Delhi summit saw various world leaders laying emphasis on ethical innovations in AI-related research and development, and some went on to offer a word of caution that overdependence on AI should be avoided even as the technology is used to serve the larger humanity. By every standard, this is a welcome development -- for it suggests that the global human community is conscious of the possible pitfalls in the pursuit of the latest technology. History of progress of science has seen many such stages when words of caution were offered by sane people against any overuse of and overdependence on technology as the last resort or the last word in human progress. Though those who offered words of caution did not debunk science and technology, they were also conscious of its negative dimensions -- which led to their being cautious while accepting the merits of that pursuit.

 

One of the most critical and disconcerting aspects of AI is a possible misuse of the technology to clone human thought. Because AI has the capacity to complete tasks whose rudiments are indicated by users, countless numbers of people are known to feel tempted to indulge in its misuse and abuse. Media editors, for example, have to keep themselves on their toes against any attempt of AI-crafted pieces of literature -- which also includes poems and pieces of high and fine literary tone and tenor. Countless numbers of people across the globe are also known to be tempted to make wanton use of facilities such as GoogleTranslate to lessen their burden of work of translation. This tendency has its own risks and dangers, which even a street urchin would be able to understand. For, when human being turn lazy and resort to use of technology to overcome their unwillingness to put in hard work, then it should be considered a time when technology should not be allowed to dominate human action (out of sheer avoidance of legitimate work). All these -- and many more -- are spiritual issues that the modern human society will have to come to terms with. These issues relate to human spirit, to spirituality -- to all-time virtues such as honesty of thought and action, integrity and character over and above petty interests.

 

These aspects matter a lot when the easy availability of technology may lead to looseness of human resolve to stick to virtuosity. Artificial Intelligence has such a power to hold sway over human malleability. Though the global human community has survived various technological waves and has retained its sanity and balance, the fears that AI could be an entirely different and difficult ball-game still persist in a big way. If job-loss is one concern, unethical abuse of AI technology is another -- now haunting the world to scary levels -- either through unethical usage, or overdependence on the technology. Hence the words of caution from world leaders.

 

This caution is not timid in nature. Much to the contrary, it has an element of welcome foresight -- ability to see in the distance -- respecting which may help human society in a big way. It will save the humanity from becoming victim of abusive power of science and technology. There is no doubt that AI has immense potential to power human growth and development in an unprecedented manner. Yet, thinkers and philosophers have known how the humanity has suffered terrible setbacks because of its overdependence on science and technology. Therefore they caution us against those dangers. AI is certainly a great leap forward in terms of innovative technology. Yet, the humans should be the masters of science and technology and not its slaves or victims. From the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, this message has emerged the strongest -- in the best interest of all of us.