After AI: Science, Spirituality, and the Search for Meaning

We cannot reject science—it would be impractical—and we cannot cling to fixed beliefs, because then we become rigid and unable to adapt to what is happening. We also can’t fully trust experience, because it may be distorted. So what should we do?

You don’t know. This is exactly where we meet, my friend, because I don’t know either. That’s where we start. We come together with empty hands, not knowing. Yet we meet, and that’s what makes it an exploration. Life and its Great Mystery bring us together.

We’ve reached a stage at which we’ve thrown the baby out with the bathwater. Many people who enjoy the benefits of scientific and technological progress have lost even the concept of the Great Mystery altogether. We now have artificial intelligence, and cyborgs and robots that will do most of the work are on the horizon.

There’s a sense that the Great Mystery has disappeared. It’s only a matter of time before we develop tools that can answer any question. This arrogance is dangerous, and as a species we are in the adolescent stage of development: having learned to survive and begun to thrive, we think we’re invincible and almost immortal. But we’re limited. Our limitations and finiteness are obvious.

This is the realm of spirituality—the spirit. It’s not about beliefs; it’s about the fact that life exists, moves, and evolves. We’ve reached a point where some people who claim not to be believers actually believe that there is no Higher Power, that everything, including us, is like machines. Those are beliefs, my friends.

This is a dangerous path towards self-destruction, because we cannot survive without mystery. The moment we believe we understand God, the Divine, or Life itself—whatever words you use—we are deluded. Don’t get hung up on words —use whatever word works for you. It is at this point, when the mind steps out of its proper role, we begin moving toward self-destruction.

The mind isn’t meant to control everything. It’s just one part of our functional system. While it excels at specific tasks, it cannot take the place of the heart, soul, or spirit—use whatever term you prefer.

We’re now dazzled by artificial intelligence. It’s a significant accomplishment that will only become more powerful in the years to come. This will make it even harder for people because we will soon experience the undeniable power of AI: it will know more than any human can, calculate faster ,and produce inventions that we haven’t been able to create. This will make us feel powerless, as our jobs and our envisioned futures will disappear.

Then the question of why we’re here will arise again. Some people won’t be able to cope day to day because it will be so intense. What will we do? If there are no jobs or careers, and no future in creativity because AI can create music and movies instantly, what will people do?

Soon, the question will be how to survive without being busy every day, without chasing achievement, and without goals or competition. Many will then claim to have the answer, and a variety of belief systems will emerge because people will be desperate for meaning.

AI, robots, and cyborgs will take jobs. The question will be: who will do the job—a robot or a human? Will it be you, sitting in an office typing emails or working on spreadsheets, or will it be AI doing all this—the work of more than twenty people—in seconds?

It’s a question of competition. It’s a matter of survival, because that’s what capitalists do: they replace people with the cheap labour of machines. This has happened before. We’ve experienced technological revolutions before, from factories and steam to electricity, the internet, and now AI.

We’re heading towards a whole new world where machines take care of our basic needs and we have a universal basic income because there won't be any other way to earn a living.

What will we do then?

Without light (such as hope, meaning, or purpose), people are in darkness. When they’re in darkness, they can’t survive. It’s not a question of living or thriving—they simply won’t survive another day.

Why? Because, in their mechanistic worldview, they’ve reached an evolutionary dead end. A new species is emerging: AI. Cyborgs are coming very soon too. People will start augmenting themselves by connecting their brains to computers, introducing robotic parts into their bodies, and editing genes. It’s coming.

We’re racing towards the limit.