Dr. David Kittay stands out as one of the most expansive, intelligent, creative, and warmhearted thinkers of our time. His course at Columbia University, Technology, Religion, Future, is often described as “life-changing” for its exploration of how technology intersects with humanity’s deepest questions. In an earlier conversation with Scott, before the AI boom, he offered insights that felt ahead of their time—making his return now all the more vital as we face a profound question: Can artificial intelligence lead to enlightenment, or are we speeding toward a super-intelligent future that may no longer include us?

This conversation reaches into that vast horizon while also returning to earth, highlighting how billions suffering today might find happiness through far simpler, more accessible means than the high-powered machines now simulating our homework, love letters, and friendships.

Episode 201: AI and Enlightenment with Dr. David Kittay

This Earth Day, I’ll be sitting down with one of the most inspiring voices on climate and the future—author Kim Stanley Robinson—for a live online conversation hosted by UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism.

We’ll explore how his work offers real hope in the face of the climate crisis—a chance to imagine not just what could go wrong—but what could go right.

It’s free, April 22nd at 5:30pm Pacific. Sign up here to watch on Zoom.

If you’d like to practice with others and bring these ideas into your life, join our weekly meditation community with Scott.

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