Artificial Intelligence and consciousness (being)

[Amatabhani]

@anyatama

the body is formed through natural physical processes and based upon the actions of the mother

Taking it as a physical process is not correct.

Embryo development and the arrival of gandhabba

"Tiṇṇaṃ kho pana, bhikkhave, sannipātā gabbhassāvakkanti hoti. Idhamātāpitaro ca sannipatitā honti, mātā ca na utunīhoti, gandhabbo ca na paccupaṭṭhito hoti, nevatāva gabbhassāvakkanti hoti" (Mahātaṇhāsaṅkhayasuttaṃ) Union of three things is required to the descent of the embryo takes place, Union of the mother and father The mother is in season Presence of gandhabba According to modern science, observing and reasoning of first two things is possible. But it never discusses about non materi…

[Amatabhani]

@anyatama

I got the impression that the body is formed through natural physical processes

Buddhism never explains a way of existance that arises materialistically. Materialism is something that has a non-action approach, which mostly believes there is no after death. According to science, life on earth was arised from a set of random reactions which has given rise to the formation of biological polymers. This is a random process where it modern science is silent about how the being or consciousness arised. Especially, modern psycologists believe existance of a being is a result of complex chemical reactions of the brain. Therefore, they have no particular reason to explain how exactly the existance of a being appeared within a body. Thus, we can conclude that this is an ahetuappaccayāvāda.
Some of those scientist still believe there is a
As explained in the Almighty Creator(issaranimmānavāda), and they are trying to challenge him, achieving his powers.

However, the blessed one denied both of these, and explained what exactly is the right way of explaining the existance of beings and how to get rid of samsāra achieving Nibbāna in AN 3.61.

Supported by the six elements, an embryo is conceived. When it is conceived, there are name and form. Name and form are conditions for the six sense fields. The six sense fields are conditions for contact. Contact is a condition for feeling. It’s for one who feels that I declare: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering -so on-
Sectarian Tenets AN3.61

Please read the complete sutta

[anyatama]

The second part of my response mentioned that the body is taken up through the relinking process of kamma and craving, thus, not entirely materialistic.

We are in agreement. Modern science is not complete especially because of their approach to the world. They have the preconceived approach that the world is physical and try to understand the world with physical means and thus come to physicalist conclusions.

What I was trying to explain with the sourced sutta is that the body arises through physical means in which the mind takes up. One doesn’t create the other, yet, they are causally linked. Any stance, however, is not in accordance with the Dhamma, as the Buddha avoided these questions. Either way is unfalsifiable. I will go out on a limb though and say that each process is exclusive to itself. The process of a body a body being made does require a great deal of effort from beings outside of the one seeking rebirth. To use a gross example. A person may want a house to live in, however, they can’t build it themselves. It requires the work of those who are capable of building a house before they can move into it. The house only came about when the conditions of desire and intention for a house and those who could build it came into contact.

@Amatabhani

Supported by the six elements, an embryo is conceived.

Just for comparison here is Bhikkhu Bodhi’s translation:

In dependence on the six elements the descent of a future embryo occurs.

[Khemarato.bhikkhu]

What will be the effect of AI on our consciousness?

Toward the Possibility of Bodhisattva Relations with Machines (2020) - Thomas H. Doctor.pdf

[Puerh]

@Amatabhani

There are science fictions about copying someones memory into a chip and implanting it to another body to get his next life. Scientists are believing that, it would be possible to make an AI with a consciousness similar to humans. Do Buddhist teachings support these ideas?

well look again in that history, and the ignorance and unwholesome intentions involved behind that. These images become attractive with the complete forgetfulness of beings involved and what define us like humans.

These are aberrations of the present times sadly propagated like a “progress” of unknown destiny. Similar to those “scientists” from past times interchanging heads between alive animals, without asking about the deeper nature in those beings.

Damaged minds of the present generations are repeating these images and ideas after decades under the influence of psychotic films, materialist science and entertainment. This culture of the moral abnormality is supported in new business and political tirannies with the technological dehumanization. The human being dissapear to becomes another product to be scrapped, and his life only will mean a cold collection of images and data to be processed and sold. To get money.

Obviously this is no a right evolution for beings endowed with a moral and existential goal, which is what differentiate them from animals or stones.

I believe this failed civilization will be destroyed with the proliferation of such aberrations. Not desirable but unavoidable.