Enlightenment 2.0

This week we speak with Ben Goertzel, an artificial intelligence researcher and Zen-dabbling spiritual seeker.  Ben shares with us his introduction to Zen and his on-going relationship to spiritual practice.  He also explains what is meant by “strong artificial intelligence” and AGI (artificial general intelligence) and explains why he thinks a fully functioning AI may be as little as a decade away.

Finally, we explore the overlap between his work as an AI researcher and his experiences with Zen and other spiritual practices, through discussing a story he wrote entitled, “Enlightenment 2.0” about an enlightened AI being who determines that it is possible to construct a more enlightened mind, what Ben calls a “super mind”, but isn’t sure whether or not it is possible for us.

This is part 1 of a two-part series.  Listen to part 2, Artificial Wisdom (airing next week).

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