“On the other hand, that literature which is full of descriptions of the transcendental glories of the name, fame, forms, pastimes, etc., of the unlimited Supreme Lord is a different creation, full of transcendental words directed toward bringing about a revolution in the impious lives of this world’s misdirected civilization. Such transcendental literatures, even though imperfectly composed, are heard, sung and accepted by purified men who are thoroughly honest.” (Shrimad Bhagavatam, 1.5.11)

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तद्वाग्विसर्गो जनताघविप्लवो
यस्मिन् प्रतिश्लोकमबद्धवत्यपि
नामान्यनन्तस्य यशोऽङ्कितानि यत्
श‍ृण्वन्ति गायन्ति गृणन्ति साधव:

tad-vāg-visargo janatāgha-viplavo
yasmin prati-ślokam abaddhavaty api
nāmāny anantasya yaśo ’ṅkitāni yat
śṛṇvanti gāyanti gṛṇanti sādhavaḥ

“I keep trying to put my finger on what really bothers me about the whole AI revolution.  It is everywhere you turn, nowadays.  I can spot it in content creation, especially.  I would rather not notice it, but what can you do?  That is the area I likely take issue with most.  I don’t mind technology.  I don’t object to advancement.  After all, a long time ago the typewriter was a huge leap forward.  Then you had the word processor.  In that respect, why not use AI to help produce content?

“The problem is in the quality of the resulting content; especially when there is no human input involved.  I keep thinking of ways to explain it to people. Let me try the following. It is based on a memory from childhood.  In my time, there were these cartoon programs on television that were really popular.  Mind you, video was not yet available on demand.  You had to wait until these programs aired in order to watch them.  There were only a few television stations, as well.  Taking advantage of the popularity, the people who created the cartoons decided to expand out into merchandise.  Toys were the big deal at the time.  You could get replica versions of characters you saw on television.

“Now, I was particularly drawn to this one cartoon that features vehicles that transformed into people.  The good guys were like land modes of transportation, while the bad guys were airplanes and the like. The toys tried to maintain fidelity with the premise of the show.  One second you had a car and the next you had a human being.  There was one toy that transformed from a leopard into a small cassette tape that went into a recorder.  It was pretty cool.  One thing I remember is that when you went to the stores to buy the toys, there was a knockoff brand.  Placed on a nearby shelf, the characters were similar, but from a show that you did not recognize.  These toys were significantly less expensive, but also less popular.  I never wanted them.  I don’t think anyone my age did.

“The advent of AI gives you the choice to mass produce such knockoffs.  Think about it.  You could get an expensive wristwatch for thousands of dollars, that works well, that looks nice, and lasts a long time.  The new option is to get a wristwatch that is much lower in quality.  It doesn’t last as long.  It doesn’t look that great.  There are obvious defects in the construction. Nevertheless, it costs pennies to produce.  If it breaks, you just buy a new one.  You could buy thousands of these poor quality watches for the same price as a single high quality one.  Who wouldn’t be tempted by that offer?

“That is how I see content produced by AI. I don’t know the solution to this.  People will be drawn towards the mass produced AI products, based on economic value alone.  How does this fit into the pursuit of realizing the self?  His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada revolutionized the publishing game for transcendental literature by having these amazing print runs.  Millions and millions of copies of a single work, in the category of philosophy, no less.  The books were subsequently distributed, in person, by real people.  What about someone trying to do the same today, but with the AI model?  Sure, the resulting output would be mediocre, but think about the cost savings.  Have AI write the books for you. Have AI spin up an online ad campaign. AI handles everything, from conception to delivery. Who wouldn’t be drawn to that?”

At first glance, it may appear that ancient texts of the Vedic tradition have little relevance to the modern world.  After all, the date of inception is not known for many of the works.  The explanation is that the wisdom is as timeless as the person it describes.  That person is anadi, which means He is without a beginning.  He is also ananta, which means there is no end.  Nevertheless, so much time has passed since these works were initially written down, to be preserved in a physical form, that the average person today feels they cannot relate.

If you look a little deeper, if you take some time to hear, to patiently deliberate on the principles and then implement them in real life, you will find answers to practically every issue known to man.  Even those issues which previously did not exist, such as the injection of AI content into the marketplace of products, can be resolved.  In this case, we look to the teaching from Shrimad Bhagavatam about the assessment of the quality of writing.  It is said that if a person attempts to glorify the Supreme Lord, with faith, expressing their deep love and attachment, then even broken language will be accepted by the wise and the pious.  A person might not even be literate, but if they feel the presence of the Supreme Lord and understand His unlimited mercy, it is like they are the greatest scholar.

प्रभु कहे, — गीता-पाठे तोमारइ अधिकार
तुमि से जानह एइ गीतार अर्थ-सार

prabhu kahe, — gītā-pāṭhe tomārā-i adhikāra
tumi se jānaha ei gītāra artha-sāra

“Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu told the brahmana, ‘Indeed, you are an authority in the reading of the Bhagavad-gita. Whatever you know constitutes the real purport of the Bhagavad-gita.’” (Chaitanya Charitamrita, Madhya, 9.102)

Consider the approach of the acharya.  They can produce endless content in glorification of God, who is a person that is identifiable and shows transcendental features, gunas.  They can pass through life blissfully in this way.  Sometimes, they decide to expand the reach of the message.  Without the assistance of machines to produce content, they actually teach others.  They inspire others to produce their own glorifications.  This path accomplishes two objectives.  The acharya has found a way to increase the scope of glorification.  They have also found a way to lift others out of the darkness and into the light.  This is something no lifeless mass produced content could ever accomplish.  The light is in the devotion.  The potency is in the connection, which is from one person to another.  Even a single kind word uttered in earnest can make a meaningful impact, and so with confidence and humility we follow the advice of chanting the holy names:  Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

In Closing:

Others automatically raised,
Path of glorification praised.

Since with the Supreme connecting,
Towards transcendence directing.

Whether to rules of language properly aligned,
Accepted by the wise and the kind.

With life never a machine could produce,
Why your own spark ever to reduce?

Categories: questions

Tags: ai, dailyprompt, god, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, writing