As the Director of The Monastic Academy, I’ve noticed that we have become increasingly well known over the years as more people face that they don’t know what to do about AI and other crises. Recently, a writer for the New Yorker reached out to us to see if we would be interested in contributing to his latest piece on AI.
He said he was “fascinated by the idea of monastic community as a response to AI risks, and [he’d] particularly like to know more about how Buddhism might offer a different approach to the questions of human and machine consciousness.”
I proceeded to look into his other work and wasn’t surprised to encounter the cynical, nihilistic, humanist view that is typical in the New Yorker. Although we have the answers to his questions, I was concerned about the ways he would try to extract our wisdom and use it for his own ends. And yet I also didn’t want to lose this opportunity to serve the world by sharing our hard work with those who care so much that they seek answers to the most important questions.
While discussing this with Forall, he said, “We need to try to connect with his good, honest side. Otherwise we're just being cynical about people who are being cynical about us; using people using us. If that's what we're doing, what are we doing? We must give people a chance to be brave.”
He recommended that I invite him to train with us and ask if he would do so “with the sincerity needed to become capable of writing even one sincere word.”
My own cynicism transformed into hope and I began looking forward to rather than dreading the reporter’s visit.