When Mahatmaji insisted on Swadeshi, he was criticized whereas now when the same idea is promoted as ‘Making in India’, it is welcomed. When he warned about the invasion of ‘mechines’ replacing human endeavors, he was criticized as taking us back to the stone age. Whereas when scientists and researchers warn about the ‘invasion’ of AI [Artificial Intelligence] then it is seriously considered. People like us who cannot escape from modern technology to survive have our own reservation of its importance and need in our lives. As I said earlier, anything and everything that we invented in the name of need and gaining knowledge, though it improved our quality of physical life, took a heavy toll on our mental and spiritual life. At the same time we become like the person who held the tiger’s tail. If he leaves it will kill him but he cannot go on holding it for long as he would soon be exhausted and even make the tiger become exhausted—at the end killing both of them. The same is happening when advanced research is done to make our lives much easier by allowing technology to overtake us.
Now researchers warn us that the immediate crisis that deserves urgent attention is the rapid growth of AI and further research on it. [see AI as New Threat, Palki Sharma Upadhyaya, Vantage, First Post, CNN-IBN 18, May 8th] One even compared it worse than climate change and become a modern Nuclear bomb. Even Elan Mask and other leading personalities signed a request to stop further research on AI as it might one day control us, not allowing us to act independently as humans completely controlled by it.
This reminds me of a program called ‘Small Wonder’ which many watched in the past. A scientist invent a Robo and keep it as his daughter and the entire episode centred around it. In one such episode he makes another one which has final control on the entire family to such an extent that it binds them all with a rob attempting to kill them. But the scientist proves that he is still smarter than the machine by making it hit on her head where the control switch is to deactivate it.
That was only an imagined story. But soon this might become a reality. Two days ago, one person told one interesting real life story. His friend’s mother who lives in India [somewhere in Kolkata], refuses to keep a mobile to talk or watch her grandchildren through video call [living in America] by saying ‘if they want to see me, let them come in person and see. I don’t want to see them through videos’. She also refuses to keep a TV without losing her mental peace by watching Mega serials in it and even refused to keep a Fridge to store up vegetables, fruits etc. She said that she would prefer to buy fresh vegetables that come to her door step and cook them, then to use from the fridge. I too watched one program in National Geography [or Discovery] where one young couple who were earning high income with a high position in New York, giving up everything went to some remote part of Africa [Morocco, I don’t remember exactly] and started to live a very simple life with basic needs [without electricity, phone, other modern gadgets, only with one cycle to go to the nearby village which is more than 15 or 20 kms away from their mud house]. Now many such videos are available in Youtube where still several people prefer to live this kind of life. Though I am not lucky to have this kind of life, I too try to live with basic needs in my ashram that too leading a SOLITUDE life without anyone around me.
Of course I also understand that for us to have this kind of luxurious life with nature, many people living in cities and crowded places pay the cost. Even this ART OF LIVING WITH NATURE has its own price tag. What remained as a normal part of life for our ancestors, now became an ‘adventure’ for few and ‘luxury’ for many.
Recently I read one message in which information was given about taking proper guidance and help using technology in bird’s watching, particularly the way they make their nest. Of course this will save one’s time and keep focused on her favorite bird. But it will deprive the thrill she finds after carefully observing various other birds. That will also deprive her to stumble on some other bird that would be more interesting one than her favorite bird.
One time one person explained his thrilling experience of visiting some historical and national forests. At the end, with a smile I said, ‘Yes they are very beautiful places I too really enjoyed visiting them’. He was shocked by my answer, as he knows well that I couldn’t visit such difficult places, I told, ‘I had a virtual tour watching some Videos on TV. In fact they are much better than a personal visit as I got so many important points about that place which I couldn’t get unless I had a professional guide with me [by paying a high charge for that service].’ Then he laughed with me. But this is one way true. When I watched the ‘Forts of India’ in DD Bharati, that helped me to understand every important information of that port which I couldn’t get when I visited them personally. But such virtual tours lack personal touch in our flesh which alone can bring that original thrill.
However, when we allow our invention to become our masters, then we will end up even paying for our very life, not our humanness.
May 9, 2023
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