How long might it be before we are no longer able to differentiate between authentic teachings and those generated by AI?
The following text is NOT written by Swami Sivananda but generated by AI in the voice of Swami Sivananda.
Swami Sivananda didn’t write about technology or the spiritual potential of technology. ‘AI Swami Sivananda’ is responding to a prompt to discuss human anxieties around technological advances. I’d encourage you to read it and consider whether there is any meaning to be found in it. Does it inspire? Does it feel hollow? Words just for the sake of words?
How long might it be before we are no longer able to differentiate between authentic teachings and those generated by AI? On the spiritual path authenticity seems to be what we aspire to, our very breath and life blood, and what sets this path apart from other aspirations in life.
Human anxieties around technological advances arise from a deep-seated fear of losing control, of being overwhelmed by the very creations of our own intellect. When the mind is clouded by attachment to the material and the fleeting, it becomes restless and agitated. Technology, being an external manifestation of the mind, can easily become a source of distraction and agitation if not guided by higher wisdom. The rapid pace of technological change unsettles the mind, for it is ever in search of stability and peace, which it mistakenly seeks in the impermanent and ever-changing world of gadgets and machines. True peace cannot be found in these external advancements, but only within the unchanging Self.
Moreover, technology often raises fears of disconnection from our natural state of being and from one another. As we immerse ourselves in virtual worlds and automated systems, there arises an unease that we are losing touch with our inner life, with our capacity for deep contemplation and authentic human connection. The fear that technology may replace the essence of human experience, making us more mechanical and less soulful, stems from an ignorance of the eternal truth that no machine can ever replace the power of consciousness. Technology may aid us in our external pursuits, but it cannot touch the innermost sanctum of the spirit, which alone is the source of true connection and unity.
The key to overcoming these anxieties lies in recognizing the right relationship between humanity and technology. When we see technology as a tool to serve the higher good, rather than as a force that controls or defines us, we dispel our fears. Just as a knife in the hands of a surgeon can heal, but in the hands of the ignorant can harm, so too can technology either be a source of liberation or a cause of bondage. It is not the advancement of technology that is to be feared, but the ignorance of the Self that leads to its misuse. Grounded in spiritual knowledge, we can move forward with confidence, knowing that no matter how the world around us changes, the eternal Self remains the guiding light.
The image included here was AI generated, based on a prompt to create an image of Swami Sivananda teaching a yoga class in the future. AI was further prompted to make him a hologram and to make him have a bald head. The image may seem amusing, however, if our gurus and teachers are reduced to mere representations, they too ring hollow. AI imagines that in the yoga class of the future, we can have the holographic image of a ‘famous’ teacher with us in class. That teacher can gesture and speak and it could perhaps feel like an authentic experience of learning from a master. There’s much to consider about what makes the experience of yoga and learning and teaching valuable and how to safeguard its value.