Offshoots of intellect

While accessing social media or using a search engine, if you receive a suggestion, know that you are already in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). AI essentially is the ability of a computer to mimic human brain and is poised for 'double exponential growth', as Elon Musk puts it.

While AI is about machine intelligence, human beings are about spiritual intelligence (SQ), a term coined by management thought leader Danah Zohar. The seeds of SQ are embedded deep into our Vedantic scriptures, which repeatedly emphasise the need to develop SQ to lead a fulfilling life.

The most important aspect is distraction vs concentration. This is achieved by practising meditation that requires high level of concentration, but AI pushes the mind away towards the external world. Another conflict relates to alienation vs interconnectedness. With everyone glued to social media, people are moving away from families, whereas SQ needs empathy, compassion and oneness. There is also extrovertedness vs introvertedness. Being commercially oriented, AI provokes desires and mental agitations, an antithesis to spiritual growth. Since it is also an enabler, human beings can devote more time to enhance their SQ by shifting the focus from the external world to Self Within as, in the words of the New Testament, 'the kingdom of heaven lies within you'.