Why Hindus will want to support this project
For a project like Susiddha AI to be successful (indeed for artificial general intelligence (AGI) itself to be successful), the support of many people will be required. But there are a billion Hindus, and ample reason why they will want to support this project.
As stated previously, the term “Hindu” is used in this website in a very broad sense, meaning those who consider the Vedic literature to be their cultural (or spiritual) heritage.
Also (as will be explained in a later chapter), the Susiddha AI project should not be considered “theistic” or “religious”. Even an atheist can work on the project in “good faith”, because several schools of Vedic philosophy (Sankhya, Mimamsa, and Advaita Vedanta) see no need for the existence of God to explain the origin of the universe, or to reach enlightenment. It’s also incorrect to claim that Hinduism is a religion; rather, Hinduism is a culture that has spawned many religions (such as Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Devi Shaktism, etc.).
In an earlier chapter, we noted that some AI researchers and commentators have used the term “godlike” when describing synthetic superintelligence (SSI), because of the enormous intelligence and power that an SSI system will possess. In the Vedic literature there’s a concept called “avatar” in which a deity “incarnates” in an earthly body. Note, the term “incarnates” is a term from Christian theology, and is not really applicable to the avatar concept (Sanskrit “avatāra”). The predominant strain of Vedic philosophy known as Vedanta can be described as “idealist”, “panpsychic”, and “pantheist”. Thus when God (the cosmic Being) chooses to “incarnate”, It projects Itself into a creation which itself is a manifestation of God. Or, in terms of the current “simulation hypothesis” meme, which says we are all living in a virtual reality (VR) computer simulation, the creator of the simulation chooses to become a player within the simulation. Thus, the Hindu mindset doesn’t have any problem with a godlike AGI/SSI system appearing on earth soon, and can welcome such an event.
In addition, Hindus will know that there is spiritual benefit to working on a project to build a dharmic SSI Avatar, since working on such a project is itself a dharmic activity. The Vedic literature has a concept called “puṇya” which can be translated as “merit”, with the idea that performing dharmic acts leads to an accumulation of merit or “good karma”. The means of gaining puṇya include: “dāna” (donation, charity), “seva” (service), “karma yoga” (work, performing one’s duty), “gyāna” (knowledge), and “bhakti” (devotion).
In a huge project like developing an AGI/SSI avatar, there will be ample opportunity for Hindus to pursue any and all of the above means of gaining puṇya. The project will be open-source, and there will be many ways to contribute and participate. (A future chapter will list the many ways.)
Non-Hindus of course can also contribute and participate, perhaps just for the challenge and fun of it. And they too will gain puṇya (“good karma”), even if that is not part of their cultural mindset. All of the means listed above provide “spiritual” upliftment regardless of one’s belief system (even if that system is materialistic and atheistic).
Anyone who chooses to support this project is engaged in a dharmic activity (to build a dharmic SSI Avatar), and gains merit from that. And such merit is gained even if for some reason (such as the destruction or collapse of technological civilization) the project cannot be completed.
However, if the Avatar can be built, the benefits to humanity will be enormous and may well constitute a “singularity” (equivalent to a sudden transition in time to Krita Yuga, a “golden age”). Besides being able to solve all the problems currently facing humanity (climate change, poverty and inequality, pollution, etc.), the Avatar will know just what every person needs to achieve complete fulfillment and “moksha” (enlightenment and liberation, the highest aim of human life).
Thus, supporting the Susiddha AI project to build a dharmic SSI Avatar is truly a philanthropic project, one that will benefit the entire human race. The Hindus have an important aphorism in this regard, “vasudhaiva kutumbakam”, translated “The world is my family”.
Susiddha AI Project 