Decoding AI: Tips With Zen
Artificial Intelligence, Real Wisdom
As AI becomes more common I have developed an interest in how this way of thinking affects business thinking.
From 1959–1983, a group of computer enthusiast scientists and programmers who had an interest in ideas derived from Zen created research so revolutionary that they came to be known as the Zen Hackers.
Based at M.I.T — The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, these thinkers worked in many areas of research, including “Lisp,” a project at MIT’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) lab. These True Hackers, who have no relationship with computer criminals who illegally break into the systems of others, took elements from the traditional Zen practices in Japan, as well as a wide range of ideas from a wide range of other sources, and applied them to the creation of new computer systems and programs. Many of these AI researchers were very open-minded people with a great curiosity about the world. They explored Asian philosophy in general and Japanese Zen in particular. They were noted for their sense of humor and felt free to interpret Zen in their way, reshaping it to better conform to their spirit and times. A dogmatic Zen Buddhist lacking an appreciation for…
