Enlightenment 2.0

This week we speak with Ben Goertzel, an artificial intelligence researcher and Zen-dabbling spiritual seeker.  Ben shares with us his introduction to Zen and his on-going relationship to spiritual practice.  He also explains what is meant by “strong artificial intelligence” and AGI (artificial general intelligence) and explains why he thinks a fully functioning AI may be as little as a decade away.

Finally, we explore the overlap between his work as an AI researcher and his experiences with Zen and other spiritual practices, through discussing a story he wrote entitled, “Enlightenment 2.0” about an enlightened AI being who determines that it is possible to construct a more enlightened mind, what Ben calls a “super mind”, but isn’t sure whether or not it is possible for us.

This is part 1 of a two-part series.  Listen to part 2, Artificial Wisdom (airing next week).

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Complete entry

Posted by Kevin Carr  on  09/01  at  11:25 AM

It was nice to hear an interview with someone only on the fringes of conventional Buddhism but very interested in consciousness.

Where can one find a copy of Goertzel's "Enlightenment 2.0" story?

Posted by jhughes  on  09/01  at  11:39 AM

Ben's fiction is available from here:

http://www.goertzel.org/fiction.htm

Posted by jhughes  on  09/01  at  12:59 PM

Enlightenment 2.0 starts at page 83 of

http://goertzel.org/EdgeOfTheBleedingAbyss.pdf

Posted by CygnusX1  on  09/01  at  10:01 PM

Re: Enlightenment 2.0

An excellent piece on the dangers posed by an "enlightened" and powerful AGI. And a lesson in humility for all of us : well done!

;0]

Posted by CygnusX1  on  02/08  at  05:10 PM

@ Ben

Apologies, but am curious - was your story above inspired by Stanislaw Lem's "Golem XIV" ?

http://english.lem.pl/works/novels/golem-xiv/69-a-look-inside-golem-xiv

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