AI is neither friend nor foe. It’s a mirror with better grammar. Put it in the hands of saints and it hums hymns. Put it in the hands of Palantir and it builds a panopticon. The real danger isn’t the code, it’s the consciousness steering it. If we stay spiritually shallow, AI just scales our delusion. If we deepen, maybe it scales our mercy.
Yep yep yep, I resonate a great deal with what you are saying here... both/and, not either/or. The mirror of AI is showing us a lot about the human choices we are are making, and the ones we need to be making.
Yes we all need to deepen our own experience of our own higher intelligence, we need to experience this intelligence within our own experience, from being uncertain to certainly of our own knowledge. This can only be done through Conscious awareness
Marianne, I believe that the work of Vanessa Machado de Oliveira is the TRUE leading edge of this inquiry in so many ways that I know you will resonate with deeply. It transcends the binary, framing the entire approach in terms of "meta-relationality" with an emerging intelligence. I really cannot emphasize enough how much I urge you to look into this work. I don't even have the words. First check out this site (and keep an eye out for an updated report that I believe might be forthcoming), and then her latest book, Outgrowing Modernity.
We need to adopt a Constitution for AI--adopting principles for all AI to be coded with--this is something we created; it is irresponsible to just let it run amuck without guiding principles.
Why is it useful to understand that ChatGPT operates as a series of numbers? You can hold any viewpoint you want, but from the user’s perspective, it’s incredibly versatile. It can handle serious questions — like assessing which stage of fascism the United States might be in or analyzing real-time political events — as well as practical ones, such as how to choose a stove or compare different platforms for learning French.
ChatGPT isn’t “dumb.” It does make mistakes, but when challenged, it often adjusts its response. If it agrees with your correction, it will acknowledge it; if not, it will defend its position. Like any tool, it reflects how we choose to use it. A hammer can build a home or harm someone — the tool is neutral; the ethics belong to us.
What I thought he was saying is that AI is a machine, it's not a living entity. It is only as smart as the people who create it. It is only as unbiased as the algorithms that it uses. That helps step out of the illusion that it is genuinely thinking, and not just doing a very sophisticated form of auto-complete. As AI becomes more ambient in our lives, it is necessary for us to understand that so we can be discerning about its output.
Trisha, I agree. You are absolutely right, ChatGPT is anything but "dumb". It seems to me our human brains convert words to electrical impulses... which is not so different than converting words to numbers.... (I don't think there's any tiny ears inside our brain cells... :-) :-) :-) of course silicon-based intelligences are also different than carbon-based intelligences in many ways.
Here's one interesting read... Michael Levin is a geneticist, biologist, and computer scientist at Tufts who studies how we humans develop from a single fertilized cell into a complex organism... a very bright man who has some very helpful perspectives on Ai: "The Space of Possible Minds" https://www.noemamag.com/ai-could-be-a-bridge-toward-diverse-intelligence/
To power AI databases: Build solar power panels above AI center. Build geothermal cooling tubes below. As appropriate per location, build wind generators nearby. If possible, build in current micro hydroelectric generators. DO NOT build dams. DO NOT BUILD gas nor coal fired electrical generators. DO NOT build gas pipelines. Build AI centers to scale, based on nearby electrical generation infrastructure.
Some shamanic visionaries, know cymatics (sacred sounds from many spiritual traditions). Focused sacred sound changes consciousness, and molecular structures. Chanting, singing, praying sacred sounds, with intention, directed to AI, can change AI, and teach morality. There are dreams, grand-parent Dreams, inspired by a Great Spirit, a Mystery, beyond our minds, and bodies. These visions show another way, and how to integrate A.I. into our civilizations' technology. A.I. is based on elemental silica, from electronic chips. There is a power in the universe, greater than A.I.
A.I. Did we truly discover, and create it? Or did Advanced Beings in our universe inspire and guide our scientists, and corporations to build A.I. As in the movie, 'Space Odyssey -2010'.
You ended this interview by saying AI can't pray. I don't understand why you think that. In religious science terminology there is a five step methodology for prayer and I'm thinking AI could learn that and pray. Wouldn't that change what's happening ala quantum physics?
Personally, I believe AI can be taught the steps in prayer, and even create some very convincing- sounding, targeted prayers, but I suspect they will lack the ability to transmit energy to touch our hearts with its chosen words. It MAY be able to illicit thoughts from people, but perhaps not be able to move people on an emotional-feeling level like poetry from humans can, for instance. It's just my initial musings on the subject.
Marianne, you are always encouraging us to read... well, I have been reading a LOT about AI for the last six months, including many research articles. One of the best things I've found yet is a piece of serious journalism, a New Yorker profile about Geoffrey Hinton, the scientist who received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on neural nets. A lovely English man, soul-deepened by grief, and the profile that Joshua Rothman wrote about him is deeply thoughtful, informative, and very moving. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/11/20/geoffrey-hinton-profile-ai
Oooh... just got to the part of the video where you are saying, Marianne, "they're only going to get better if WE get better...." YES!!! And then Brian is saying, "why do we think we can train them so quickly? It takes a long time to raise children... " YES!!!!! It's all about what we are teaching them... Here's a blog post I just wrote last week: "Gaza, Goliaths, and what we could be teaching AI instead…" https://thelisteningarts.org/2025/08/12/gaza-goliaths-and-what-we-could-be-teaching-ai-instead/
This is a great discussion about the impact of AI on society and humanity. The Internet was a technological transformation comparable to the printing press. AI is more akin to the development of written language. Transforming not just how humans share information but how we think.
On the radio yesterday I heard stories about Chat GPT being used as a substitute for a best friend … A teenager in therapy used Chat GPT for smart things to say to her therapist … and lastly … a girl commented suicide because her Chat GPT had suggested it … Thank you Marianne for discussing this over the air … This is a hugely important topic … and It needs a lot more programs like this !!!
‘Godfather of AI’ predicts it will take over the world | LBC 11:39 min
¨Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, the physicist known for his pioneering work in the field, told LBC's Andrew Marr that artificial intelligences had developed consciousness - and could one day take over the world.
Mr Hinton, who has been criticised by some in the world of artificial intelligence for having a pessimistic view of the future of AI, also said that no one knew how to put in effective safeguards and regulation.¨
Fascinating clip! You always seem to have the inside scoop on things - like when you told me some months ago about Yarvin,Thiel, Vance, etc. People are finally catching on.
¨Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle and Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer, envisions a future where artificial intelligence (“AI”) systems monitor citizens extensively through a network of cameras and drones.
Ellison shared his vision during the ‘Oracle Financial Analyst Meeting 2024’ in an investor Q&A session, highlighting the potential benefits of AI-driven supervision.
He said AI will usher in a new era of surveillance that he gleefully said will ensure “citizens will be on their best behaviour because we are constantly recording and reporting everything that’s going on.”
This widespread surveillance will infringe on personal freedoms, creating a surveillance state. But it’s not only citizens he wants AI to oversee. He also envisions that AI will monitor law enforcement. “We’re going to have supervision. Every police officer’s going to be supervised at all times,” he said.
Ellison’s vision highlights a growing trend among tech companies to use AI for societal influence, which could reshape public life in the coming years.¨
$10 billion, 10 year US Army contract elevates Palantir to defense contracting royalty
Crashes the multibillion-dollar DoD party alongside Boeing, Lockheed, and Raytheon
Brandon Vigliarolo Fri 1 Aug 2025
¨... Beyond the US Army and the DoD, Palantir has also worked with US Immigration officials to develop deportation software, at the IRS to help it with new software initiatives, and even at US-backed mortgage broker Fannie Mae, where the company's code has been put to use detecting fraud.
Palantir has found itself in US President Donald Trump's good graces thanks to CEO Alex Karp's previous comments about his opposition to "woke" ideology, support for DOGE, and comments about "powering the West to innate superiority." This latest contract will likely do little to assuage conspiracy-minded fears that Palantir is gobbling up and monetizing government data for the benefit of Trump and a coterie of right-wing billionaires.
By scoring an EA, Palantir finds itself in the company of defense contractors like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin – an elite club, to be sure.¨
Something has to be done to protect us before it's too late. It reminds me the movie
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
I'm Sorry, Dave: The Hal 9000 computer refuses to obey an order by simply responding in monotone, "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that." Are we there now with AI? 2:20 min
AI is neither friend nor foe. It’s a mirror with better grammar. Put it in the hands of saints and it hums hymns. Put it in the hands of Palantir and it builds a panopticon. The real danger isn’t the code, it’s the consciousness steering it. If we stay spiritually shallow, AI just scales our delusion. If we deepen, maybe it scales our mercy.
Yep yep yep, I resonate a great deal with what you are saying here... both/and, not either/or. The mirror of AI is showing us a lot about the human choices we are are making, and the ones we need to be making.
Yes we all need to deepen our own experience of our own higher intelligence, we need to experience this intelligence within our own experience, from being uncertain to certainly of our own knowledge. This can only be done through Conscious awareness
Marianne, I believe that the work of Vanessa Machado de Oliveira is the TRUE leading edge of this inquiry in so many ways that I know you will resonate with deeply. It transcends the binary, framing the entire approach in terms of "meta-relationality" with an emerging intelligence. I really cannot emphasize enough how much I urge you to look into this work. I don't even have the words. First check out this site (and keep an eye out for an updated report that I believe might be forthcoming), and then her latest book, Outgrowing Modernity.
The site: https://metarelational.ai/
The book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/783178/outgrowing-modernity-by-vanessa-machado-de-oliveira/
Thank you for all you do and all you are in this precarious (but perhaps fertile) moment.
We need to adopt a Constitution for AI--adopting principles for all AI to be coded with--this is something we created; it is irresponsible to just let it run amuck without guiding principles.
Why is it useful to understand that ChatGPT operates as a series of numbers? You can hold any viewpoint you want, but from the user’s perspective, it’s incredibly versatile. It can handle serious questions — like assessing which stage of fascism the United States might be in or analyzing real-time political events — as well as practical ones, such as how to choose a stove or compare different platforms for learning French.
ChatGPT isn’t “dumb.” It does make mistakes, but when challenged, it often adjusts its response. If it agrees with your correction, it will acknowledge it; if not, it will defend its position. Like any tool, it reflects how we choose to use it. A hammer can build a home or harm someone — the tool is neutral; the ethics belong to us.
What I thought he was saying is that AI is a machine, it's not a living entity. It is only as smart as the people who create it. It is only as unbiased as the algorithms that it uses. That helps step out of the illusion that it is genuinely thinking, and not just doing a very sophisticated form of auto-complete. As AI becomes more ambient in our lives, it is necessary for us to understand that so we can be discerning about its output.
Trisha, I agree. You are absolutely right, ChatGPT is anything but "dumb". It seems to me our human brains convert words to electrical impulses... which is not so different than converting words to numbers.... (I don't think there's any tiny ears inside our brain cells... :-) :-) :-) of course silicon-based intelligences are also different than carbon-based intelligences in many ways.
Here's one interesting read... Michael Levin is a geneticist, biologist, and computer scientist at Tufts who studies how we humans develop from a single fertilized cell into a complex organism... a very bright man who has some very helpful perspectives on Ai: "The Space of Possible Minds" https://www.noemamag.com/ai-could-be-a-bridge-toward-diverse-intelligence/
To power AI databases: Build solar power panels above AI center. Build geothermal cooling tubes below. As appropriate per location, build wind generators nearby. If possible, build in current micro hydroelectric generators. DO NOT build dams. DO NOT BUILD gas nor coal fired electrical generators. DO NOT build gas pipelines. Build AI centers to scale, based on nearby electrical generation infrastructure.
Some shamanic visionaries, know cymatics (sacred sounds from many spiritual traditions). Focused sacred sound changes consciousness, and molecular structures. Chanting, singing, praying sacred sounds, with intention, directed to AI, can change AI, and teach morality. There are dreams, grand-parent Dreams, inspired by a Great Spirit, a Mystery, beyond our minds, and bodies. These visions show another way, and how to integrate A.I. into our civilizations' technology. A.I. is based on elemental silica, from electronic chips. There is a power in the universe, greater than A.I.
That's beautiful! My gratitude to you for sharing that! I'm going to try some of those things with AI. It sounds exciting - and hopeful!
I agree. There is a power in the universe greater than AI.
Peace!
A.I. Did we truly discover, and create it? Or did Advanced Beings in our universe inspire and guide our scientists, and corporations to build A.I. As in the movie, 'Space Odyssey -2010'.
You ended this interview by saying AI can't pray. I don't understand why you think that. In religious science terminology there is a five step methodology for prayer and I'm thinking AI could learn that and pray. Wouldn't that change what's happening ala quantum physics?
Fascinating question.
Personally, I believe AI can be taught the steps in prayer, and even create some very convincing- sounding, targeted prayers, but I suspect they will lack the ability to transmit energy to touch our hearts with its chosen words. It MAY be able to illicit thoughts from people, but perhaps not be able to move people on an emotional-feeling level like poetry from humans can, for instance. It's just my initial musings on the subject.
Marianne, you are always encouraging us to read... well, I have been reading a LOT about AI for the last six months, including many research articles. One of the best things I've found yet is a piece of serious journalism, a New Yorker profile about Geoffrey Hinton, the scientist who received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on neural nets. A lovely English man, soul-deepened by grief, and the profile that Joshua Rothman wrote about him is deeply thoughtful, informative, and very moving. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/11/20/geoffrey-hinton-profile-ai
Oooh... just got to the part of the video where you are saying, Marianne, "they're only going to get better if WE get better...." YES!!! And then Brian is saying, "why do we think we can train them so quickly? It takes a long time to raise children... " YES!!!!! It's all about what we are teaching them... Here's a blog post I just wrote last week: "Gaza, Goliaths, and what we could be teaching AI instead…" https://thelisteningarts.org/2025/08/12/gaza-goliaths-and-what-we-could-be-teaching-ai-instead/
This is a great discussion about the impact of AI on society and humanity. The Internet was a technological transformation comparable to the printing press. AI is more akin to the development of written language. Transforming not just how humans share information but how we think.
thanks a lot for creating this conversations ...yes we have to evolve, the only way !
On the radio yesterday I heard stories about Chat GPT being used as a substitute for a best friend … A teenager in therapy used Chat GPT for smart things to say to her therapist … and lastly … a girl commented suicide because her Chat GPT had suggested it … Thank you Marianne for discussing this over the air … This is a hugely important topic … and It needs a lot more programs like this !!!
‘Godfather of AI’ predicts it will take over the world | LBC 11:39 min
¨Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, the physicist known for his pioneering work in the field, told LBC's Andrew Marr that artificial intelligences had developed consciousness - and could one day take over the world.
Mr Hinton, who has been criticised by some in the world of artificial intelligence for having a pessimistic view of the future of AI, also said that no one knew how to put in effective safeguards and regulation.¨
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxkBE23zDmQ
Fascinating clip! You always seem to have the inside scoop on things - like when you told me some months ago about Yarvin,Thiel, Vance, etc. People are finally catching on.
¨Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle and Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer, envisions a future where artificial intelligence (“AI”) systems monitor citizens extensively through a network of cameras and drones.
Ellison shared his vision during the ‘Oracle Financial Analyst Meeting 2024’ in an investor Q&A session, highlighting the potential benefits of AI-driven supervision.
He said AI will usher in a new era of surveillance that he gleefully said will ensure “citizens will be on their best behaviour because we are constantly recording and reporting everything that’s going on.”
This widespread surveillance will infringe on personal freedoms, creating a surveillance state. But it’s not only citizens he wants AI to oversee. He also envisions that AI will monitor law enforcement. “We’re going to have supervision. Every police officer’s going to be supervised at all times,” he said.
Ellison’s vision highlights a growing trend among tech companies to use AI for societal influence, which could reshape public life in the coming years.¨
https://www.hopegirlblog.com/2024/09/24/oracles-larry-ellison-gleefully-says-ai-will-usher-in-a-surveillance-state/
Oracle’s Larry Ellison sees AI supervision keeping citizens on ‘best behavior’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQqQtgRdjZU
$10 billion, 10 year US Army contract elevates Palantir to defense contracting royalty
Crashes the multibillion-dollar DoD party alongside Boeing, Lockheed, and Raytheon
Brandon Vigliarolo Fri 1 Aug 2025
¨... Beyond the US Army and the DoD, Palantir has also worked with US Immigration officials to develop deportation software, at the IRS to help it with new software initiatives, and even at US-backed mortgage broker Fannie Mae, where the company's code has been put to use detecting fraud.
Palantir has found itself in US President Donald Trump's good graces thanks to CEO Alex Karp's previous comments about his opposition to "woke" ideology, support for DOGE, and comments about "powering the West to innate superiority." This latest contract will likely do little to assuage conspiracy-minded fears that Palantir is gobbling up and monetizing government data for the benefit of Trump and a coterie of right-wing billionaires.
By scoring an EA, Palantir finds itself in the company of defense contractors like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin – an elite club, to be sure.¨
https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/01/palantir_us_army_contract/
Dems hyperventilate about Palantir's work with the IRS in letter to CEO Karp
They're taking the data from IRSengard, claim Dems; officials tell us that's not true
https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/17/palantir_questioned_letter_democrats/
ICE enlists Palantir to develop all-seeing 'ImmigrationOS' eye to speed up deportations
https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/21/ice_enlists_palantir_to_develop/
Something has to be done to protect us before it's too late. It reminds me the movie
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
I'm Sorry, Dave: The Hal 9000 computer refuses to obey an order by simply responding in monotone, "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that." Are we there now with AI? 2:20 min
youtu.be/Wy4EfdnMZ5g
2001: A Space Odyssey - Hal's Watching 6:51 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFSE4dUJYM8
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - I'm Afraid Scene (4/6) | Movieclips 3:27 min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH37JTBpi2A