Ajahn Dhammasiha responds to a question about AI ('Artificial Intelligence').

He points out the most important difference between AI and a living human being, namely consciousness:

Even the most sophisticated and 'intelligent' AI is not conscious, it's not a living being.

A human being is more than the faculty of intellect. In particular, human beings can have a conscience, which AI completely lacks. Humans also have feelings, emotions. Humans can make decisions based on ethical standards, virtue and precepts they are committed to. AI doesn't have that ability. They can't feel compassion or loving kindness.

Even in a dictatorship, human beings may decide not to follow orders, but to act according to their conscience and ethical considerations. They may be committed not to kill, even in war, even if their own wealth, health and life are endangered.

Ajahn quotes several examples where single individuals, 'unsung heroes' who may be virtually unknown, have courageously acted against orders, solely based on their conscience, and prevented major bloodshed, and potentially even global nuclear war.

On the other hand, once robots/AI are making decisions affecing real human beings, these decisions wouldn't be restrained by any kind of ethics, precepts, standards of virtue, or conscience. We should never allow that to occur, because ethics, compassion, loving kindness and conscience need to guide any decision making.

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