Philosophies on AI Ethics
Sunil Malhotra, the author of YOGAi: Interplays of Yoga and Artificial Intelligence (paperback, published 26 March 2024), is our friend and mentor. He has contributed a chapter to the book Whose Ethics for AI?
About the book
This book offers an exploration of the diverse perspectives that shape the future of artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting the influence of non-Western thinking on its development. What would the impact be if Al were developed with the wisdom of Ubuntu, the harmony of Confucian thought, or the Indian principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, "the world is one family", at its core?
This thought-provoking collection brings together leading voices from around the globe to reimagine AI systems that are fair, ethical, and inclusive. Addressing critical issues such as bias, fairness, privacy, and existential risks, it challenges the status quo. It envisions a future where AI reflects the values of all humanity—not just a select few. Exploring the influence of topics such as religion, culture, and social movements, the book examines how these perspectives shape Al's application across industries such as finance, education, and the military, while underscoring the importance of establishing robust ethical guardrails.
Whether you're a curious reader, a policy maker, a scholar, or a tech innovator, this book is your guide to understanding how different cultural perspectives can redefine AI ethics. It's time to ask, what kind of world do we want AI to build for us all?
Thank you, Sunil, for sharing your life and work with us.
Let us begin with the cover. I see Techno-Spirituality, the meeting of mind and matter, the creation of a transient being, and an eternal harmony for the universe.
This morning, when I jumped out of bed, there was the article by my bedside, which Sunil shared with me just last evening, and it was indeed the reason for the high level of energy at 4:30 AM, my reading hour!
Reading the chapter made me realise that each of us comes to the world with a purpose, and Dharma and Karma intertwine our lives; thus, we hold and sustain everything in our lives. We learn about righteousness and ethics; this is how we prepare our role in society and the country at large, build our identity and are subsumed by the universe when our purpose of existence is fulfilled.
AI is a mystical technology that has captured the world's attention, and most of us are only reading the headlines; not many can decode the jargon around terms like LLM, AGI, and Singularity. What I took away from the article was the good, that makes us independent and self-reliant, we need to choose We over Me, and the welfare of others unites us. Looking from this perspective, history is witness to the rise and fall of civilisations and has established the fact that it is Spirituality that holds the world together; we are all one world and one family, and AI, to my mind, will and should bring us all together in the quest for global good.
AI is a paradox: like any new invention and technology, it has both good and bad sides. This is where ethics matter, and we need not limit ourselves to a binary view. Being control freaks, humans have a superiority complex and feel threatened by change and are in a state of inertia. Over the years, we have noted that all disruptions first challenge us to accept, then require acceptance, and finally, to live with acceptance. The constant state of change and chaos has the energy that must help us build our intelligence and capabilities.
I am currently reading Human Edge in the AI Age: Eight Timeless Mantras for Success by Nitin Seth, bestselling author of Winning in the Digital Age and Mastering the Data Paradox. The book blurb states: A seismic shift is underway―one that will redefine work, value, and even what it means to be human.
Artificial Intelligence is not just disrupting industries―it's beginning to outperform humans in areas once considered exclusively ours: complex reasoning, creativity, even emotional intelligence. As AI accelerates, it will displace millions of jobs―while also creating once-in-a-generation opportunities for those ready to build, innovate, and lead.
Intelligence is the application of knowledge, and AI is helping us build a neocortex in the cloud and expand our brains into an endless frontier. We surely need Spirituality to maintain sanity and be good humans. Revolutions come and go, and civilisations are wiped out. What seems omnipotent is the human guest for learning, and this is the key message one takes away when such books come to the shelf and are widely read.
Yes, hype and western hegemony have a role to play; there are believers, nay-sayers, and sceptics, which goes to show the complexity and uncertainty surrounding the future of AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). We have to accept the fact that universal functionality and morality must work for everyone. Over the years, IP, Copyright and any exclusive control over content have been lost, and we are all adding to the ocean of knowledge, living on our islands, disconnected and pretending to be connected. Understanding AI, and what path to follow, the need for regulation, and self-governance, no doubt that no one will be left untouched. Let us work together, as anthropomorphism is fundamental to human social behaviour. We believe in God and thus need to understand the global good and use technology with ethics as its primary guiding principle.
Looking back to the idea of Spiritual Quotient, YOGAi and how the discourse on AI ethics encompasses multiple dimensions, we must look at the way YOGA builds harmony and is today looked at as a way for global good - no hegemony, no copyright, only suitable for all in body and well-being. Like the West found the East, and discovered the power of Dharma and good, today the East must look at the West and find ways to use AI for the greater common good, and not let the West establish a new world order to replace the old world order; hegemony and monopoly are not the way for peaceful existence.
The chapter by Sunil Malhotra, very timely indeed, is in my mailbox, and I am hoping the author will soon send me a signed copy of the book. Of course I would be happy to pay the price, as this should be my 'guru dakshina' (gift to the guru in honour) for all he does to help me understand the leapfrogging nature of change, the way the exponential growth of technology and knowledge is helping us build our intelligence and not just the so called demon by some - Artificial Intelligence.
Sandeep Dutt
Sandeep is a seasoned educational consultant with over four decades of experience. He specialises in enhancing learning outcomes through tailored strategies for students and institutions. Please find out more about him at www.sdutt.com
