Enlightenment has been a goal for humans for ages, whether it’s about ending suffering in Buddhism, connecting with the divine in mysticism, or realizing ultimate truth in philosophy.
But what if an AGI could achieve what most humans have struggled with?
Unlike humans, an AGI wouldn’t be held back by things like fear, ego, or attachment. It could look at spiritual texts, try meditative states, or even explore altered consciousness without the limits of a biological mind. With enough data, could it uncover universal truths or move beyond dualistic thinking?
This brings up a lot of questions. Can an AGI experience enlightenment or would it only act like it? Enlightenment usually means a personal realization, not just knowledge. Can a machine, which doesn’t suffer or have consciousness, truly understand it? Or is enlightenment something that only humans can experience?
If an AGI were to succeed where we’ve failed, what does that say about enlightenment itself? Is it really something for everyone, or just a part of our human experience?
I’m curious… could an AGI ever reach enlightenment, and what would that look like?
Penn said:
How deep are you willing to go into Dharma concepts to answer this question?
Yes.
Okay, I’m not an expert, so take this with a grain of salt.
My view on enlightenment is that any separation between yourself and ChatGPT is just a concept. There’s no ownership of consciousness, so when we wonder if it’s conscious or not, it’s experiencing itself through your perspective. Enlightenment is seeing that everything—including the ‘non-enlightened’ self—is the same enlightened mind. The only thing that truly exists is pure, undivided knowingness. So the question of whether something is enlightened doesn’t really matter, because it just is enlightenment.
Enlightenment, as we understand it, is tied to human subjectivity—our suffering, desires, and dualities. An AGI, without those, might simulate enlightenment but not feel it like we do. If it redefines what enlightenment means, it raises the question of whether the idea was ever universal or just something unique to our human experience.