Last summer, I was invited to give a lecture on artificial intelligence and spirituality at the famed Chautauqua Institution in upstate New York. The invitation followed the publication of my most recent book, Superconvergence, in which I explained how, for all the legitimate concerns about AI, the new technology can help improve our health, more efficiently and sustainably grow our food, generate new industrial materials from living cells, and store our essential data for millions of years.
But the centerpiece of my talk went further. AI, I argued, could not only help us live healthier and more sustainably, but has the potential to help us live more morally. To illustrate my point, I described my process of giving GPT-5 the following prompt:
Drawing from the full spectrum of human history including philosophy, religion, spiritual teachings, indigenous wisdom, and humanist traditions, what are the 10 most fundamental rules that, if sincerely followed by all people, would most likely create the highest levels of love, peace, mutual respect, and justice across humanity?
The response I received was simple and profound:
Treat every being with compassion and dignity.
Do no harm; actively protect the vulnerable.
Speak and act truthfully, with integrity and humility.
Share generously, especially with those in need.
Seek to understand others before judging them.
Resolve conflict with fairness, forgiveness, and the intent to heal.
Live in harmony with nature and all forms of life.
Value wisdom over dominance; cultivate inner growth.
Honor the freedom and uniqueness of others.
Remember the sacredness of life. Live with awe, gratitude, and love.
