A(um)I : Science & Spirituality

Nikhil Kulkarni
3 min readJun 13, 2024

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The calculators made us trust the machine, because each time, whenever asked, they provided the right answer. We humans have a desire to be right all the time, and thus, we trust what consistently gives correct answers.

AI Future

As AI tools become increasingly accurate, they are poised to replace roles traditionally held by coders and analysts, especially if the definitions of right and wrong are well-established from the outset. However, we also see that realms lacking clear definitions, like art, are under threat. AI’s ability to create surprising art and its capability to “hallucinate” are notable, suggesting that fields that are not too clearly defined but also not too undefined will economically survive.

Data science, which deals with predictions about the future, once considered a form of “voodoo science,” has become increasingly scientific thanks to advances in statistics and machine learning. It is very well defined now and thus is at the risk of automation.

Take Manual labor, it has well-defined tasks but still has parts which are undefined because of uncertainity in real life — where is the stuff to be picked up placed ? How do I carry it, hold it, place it , etc etc many variables, and so I think it remains relatively safe from the encroachment of AI.

From basic mathematics facilitated by calculators to applied data science in business, and from manual labor to the creation of art, there exists a spectrum. Art represents infinite possibilities, whereas well-defined fields have clear limits. Here, spirituality and science intersect.

AI is pushing us to rely on well-defined processes, providing a stable foundation that allows us to leap towards the infinite, exploring areas we once ignored. It’s as if AI will make traditional science obsolete, as more well-defined realms fall under the “trust umbrella” of this mystic machine.

This technological shift allows us to take for granted that machines control the logical world, using this as a launchpad into realms of mysticism. Each field today is propelled towards spirituality, powered by the capabilities of AI.

Will there be massive job losses? Perhaps. But as every field becomes more mystic, new domains will require human exploration, leading to new roles focused not on the well-defined but on engaging with the mysticism brought forth by machines.

Do we need more spiritualists or mystics? Not necessarily. What we need are people who trust in well-defined systems enough to use them as stepping stones into the unknown, embracing the existence of both the logical and the mystical.

AI, ironically, is driving us into a world of greater spirituality, where the interconnectedness of all things becomes more pronounced. The more we try to articulate spirituality in the logical language, the more it evades us. Large language models are beginning to grasp the bits of mysticism in our languages, pushing us to discover new realms of mysticism as logic chases it. In this playful dance of life, mysticism and logic enjoy a coexistence that is both challenging and enriching.

AI is enabling a mystic explosion by deciphering and manifesting the mystical through its algorithms. This shift invites us to explore how AI grasps complex, abstract concepts, transforming our understanding of the relationship between science and spirituality. As these two realms draw closer, each begins to acknowledge and respect the value of the other.

In this era, aligning oneself with both science and spirituality, embracing trust in the former and awe of the latter, seems not just advisable but necessary. This balance could well be the key to thriving in a world where the boundaries between the logical and the mystical are increasingly blurred.

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Nikhil Kulkarni

At the intersection of philosophy, entrepreneurship, economics, technology & spirituality.