They are fields that, from my experience and observations, seem to be radically changing and shaping our ideologies, narratives, innovations, technologies and systems as a means to deepen our understanding of life and solve our current social, economic and ecological challenges. Thus, I feel that now more than ever, there is a deep need to understand the relationship between all of these areas as a means to develop a more grounded, holistic and ecological perspective that can bring us closer to answering the existential questions of who we are, what we are capable of, where we stand, where we are going and how we can solve our current challenges.
Questions that kept emerging throughout the foresight cycle workshops and that ultimately point to the mystery that life is. Just as Albert Einstein said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries to comprehend only a little of this mystery every day.” Thus, as you read this essay, I invite you to open your mind to the mysteries of life and welcome a new perspective.
The artificial intelligence and sustainability dilemma
In the past 200 years, a series of industrial revolutions have radically transformed living conditions for human beings, where each revolution has borrowed from the future to pay for the present by achieving economic growth through the degradation of our planet’s health. This, in turn, has created numerous problems such as ecological crises, economic inequalities, polarised political views, biodiversity loss and much more. The way we live today impacts both human and natural systems in a way we couldn’t imagine. In other words, we are in the so-called Anthropocene age, where human activity is the dominant influence on the planet. In response to these conflicts, Agenda 2030 was created during the UN summit in 2015 to emphasise the need for sustainable development in which we care about the well-being of the future generation as much as ours. An agenda that over the years has shown its weaknesses by the little change it has brought due to greenwashing initiatives and empty net-zero commitments from governments and organisations. To combat this, the creation of the science-based targets 1 and the EU Green Deal 2 have emerged. While the effects of the latest industrial revolution are still perceivable, the world’s economy is now in the middle of the fourth industrial revolution. This time to the data-driven economy, in which the world is fueled with technology and data. Amongst the vast technological innovations, AI stands out, as it’s predicted to generate the biggest disruption to our current socio-economic system by enhancing decision making, pushing the boundaries of science, optimising and automating complex systems and mapping our world. On the other hand, as Ricardo Vinuesa and his colleagues point out in their 2020 paper, The role of artificial intelligence in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, “AI may result in increased inequalities due to unevenly distributed educational and computing resources, as well as the creation of computational propaganda based on big data–big nudging”. Not only that, but AI has been found to be a substantial emitter of carbon and a powerful tool for the further extraction of natural resources. Thus, as argued by researchers such as Juwan Kim, Edward Curry and Margaret A. Goralski, despite the fact that sustainable AI or ethical AI is encouraged by practitioners and academicians around the globe, there are chances that AI will be used in unsustainable ways. To combat this, legislators in Europe are seeking to steer the future of ethical and sustainable AI through the creation of the AI Act 3.
Today we sit at the cusp of an AI-driven Anthropocene age. The contradiction between the need to undo the negative effects of human activity on nature and the need to grow economically is, therefore, a huge dilemma. The failure to merge these worlds has raised a host of complex questions and broad concerns about how technology will affect our society and environment. Thus, as mentioned in PriceWaterCooper report, How AI can enable a sustainable future, “the necessity for humans to transform industries, markets, and behaviours to change the course of ecological crisis and to lay the foundations for a positive, safe, and responsible digital future is needed. However, not enough has been done to bring these two paradigms together, where a huge opportunity is foregone if leaders and decision-makers do not help enable AI innovations for sustainable development.”
When it comes to AI for sustainability, the creation of AI solutions is in its infancy. As Anna Jobin and her colleagues discuss in their 2019 paper, The global landscape of AI ethics guidelines, “ideally, AI creates sustainable systems that process data sustainably and from which insights remain valid over time by being designed, deployed, and managed with care to increase energy efficiency and minimise ecological footprint. This calls for the development and deployment of AI to consider protecting the environment, improving the planet’s ecosystem and biodiversity, contributing to fairer and more equal societies, and promoting peace.”
The ethical principles of AI and the type of society we would like the technology to enable—whether it be a sustainable society, a dystopian society, etc.—remains unclear. As stated by Pwc, “to achieve AI development in a sustainable way, we need to be clear about the policy and market reforms needed to make new solutions scale over incumbent practices and systems. This is also about managing second-order implications and unintended consequences on society and our environment that the technology might bring.” Something that, as Eirini Malliaraki points out in her medium article, What is this “AI for Social Good”? has proven to be quite challenging due to long-standing structural socio-economic and political conditions, a disconnect between the scientific and tech communities from the social sector, or simply because of the complexity of combining different lenses to have a systematic view of the deployment of sustainable AI. Thus, we need now more than ever technologists, industry and governments alike to adopt strong principles around fairness, accountability, transparency and ethics, which need to include and embed consideration of environmental, societal and economic impacts.
In short, our innate human ability to innovate, our bounded rationality, lack of knowledge and differences have brought us great wealth and innovations at a heavy price to the environment and society. Today we sit in a time where we can learn from the past and utilise our newly acquired knowledge and tools to enable us to craft a sustainable future. To do this, now more than ever, it is of crucial importance that we face our current challenges and come together to understand what’s needed for us to transition to a desired future. All of this brings new challenges to our current mental model of how we operate and collaborate, driving us to ask the existential questions we have been plagued with since the beginning of time. Questions that require the marriage of different perspectives, the integration of ancient wisdom, curiosity, openness and humility. For no matter where we come from or who we are, we are all part of an integrated web of life. A web filled with ecosystems, connections, discoveries and challenges that we must learn how to be a part of. As humans, we cannot currently hold onto our ego-centric worldviews, systems, patterns and ways of being. What we need now more than ever is to remember our place in this world and the responsibility we have for each other and the planet. This is where the knowledge, practices and wisdom from ancient esoteric and indigenous systems come into play.
What AI and sustainability can learn from spirituality and indigenous wisdom
Before explaining what AI and sustainability can learn from spiritual and indigenous wisdom, I would like to first explain what I believe they have in common and what purpose they serve. From my experience, these innovations, concepts, technologies and philosophies expand the notion of who we are, what we’re capable of, where we stand and how we operate and make decisions. Helping us understand ourselves and our environment better, develop new solutions, and communicate our challenges in a more holistic way. Allowing us to reflect upon how our decisions and actions impact our lives and the planet, where they stem from and how we can make better decisions moving forward. In short, they are tools that can help us understand the nature of intelligence, the interactions we have between one other and the environment, and how our current social, economic, political and technological systems operate.
Often, AI and sustainability experts and spiritual and indigenous leaders don’t work together or find inspiration from one another. This leads to the development of new technologies and sustainable practices that fundamentally lack the wisdom needed to lead to the desired changes they intend, as they still operate from a mechanistic or industrial worldview. Carol Anne Hilton’s definition of a worldview in her 2021 book, Indigenomics, is a “collective set of beliefs and values that make up a way of life, a way of seeing the world, and a specific way of experiencing reality”.
To illustrate how our current mechanistic/industrial world-view operates, we can take the cycle of development of new technological solutions, like phones, where new ones come out approximately every year, or the 3-5 year strategy time span that businesses operate under, and even the 4-6 year political terms and strategies most governments apply. The common thread here is the profit-driven linear mindset and relatively quick and iterative changes they support and operate under without regard for environmental impact, resource usage, and long-term consequences. In comparison, the well-known concept of the seventh generation, founded in Iroquois philosophy, outlines the need to ensure that the decisions we make today result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future. A concept which is currently not part of our western worldview, as our long-term sustainable strategies such as Agenda 2030 or net-zero by 2050 are built on 15-30 years time spans. Thus, what I believe we need now more than ever is a paradigm shift. An upgrade to our worldview by taking the knowledge, wisdom and principles of indigenous and spiritual systems to help guide our decisions moving forward. By doing so, we can begin to develop a more holistic mindset and practise so-called Indigenomics.
As described by Hilton, “Indigenomics is the practice of bringing an Indigenous perspective into economic and social development. It works to connect community economic development practices and principles for building an inclusive local economy. Indigenomics is the slow realisation of the application of Indigenous values into local economy. It is an inception into economic theory that allows for another worldview centred within the relationship to the land. This is the economy of consciousness which acknowledges that the way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if the forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity—then we will treat each other with greater respect. The challenge is to look at the world from a different perspective and to operate from a brand new set of principles.” Luckily for us, indigenous principles have been developed and utilised by many indigenous tribes and cultures for centuries, which we can learn from and implement into our daily lives.
In her book, Hilton presents the following indigenous principles. They are intended only as a way to highlight key aspects of an Indigenous worldview, serve to better understand and frame the source of Indigenous conflict, as well as highlight a source of business success.
Principle 1: Everything is connected Everything is connected is the principle of oneness, non-duality, mutuality or what Schopenhauer describes as the world as will. In short, this principle is the foundation for us to understand the interdependent and synergetic nature of life allowing us to become aware of the importance of strengthening and improving our relations. Through this principle we can become inspired to remember the seven generations in the past and the seven generations in the future when making decisions.
Principle 2: Story Tribes, communities and spiritual systems have a set of stories. Stories which transmit teachings, history and relationships in order to help us understand how to conduct ourselves, the consequences of our actions, the importance of maintaining relationships, and the different points of views that make up our shared reality. In short, stories transmit knowledge about reality through time and across generations.
Principle 3: Animate life force Animate life force, Tao, prana or chi, is a concept deeply embedded throughout all indigenous and esoteric systems. In short, this concept can be described as the “simple truth that life is everywhere”. A truth that is understood by the connection established through our breath, as the breath we inhale is the breath that the trees and other species exhale. This is the foundation for relational decision-making.
Principle 4: Transformation “Transformation is the changing of form, the recognition of the ability to shape shift and the upholding of this as sacred.” By recognising the ever-changing nature of life, embodying this truth and holding it as sacred, we can begin to consciously embark on a transformative process to challenge our existing and limited understanding of reality. It is through transformation that we grow; it is through transformation that we evolve; it is through transformation that we become one. Thus, by recognising the principle of transformation, we begin to master the ability to shape our reality into an entirely different one. This is something we are in dire need of at this moment of time.
Principle 5: The teachings “Indigenous languages hold within them the teachings of how to be and how to conduct oneself and form the foundation for the relationship and responsibility to each other and to the land.” In short, the teachings are the fundamental instructions for life; the protocols, principles and instructions that help us live a harmonious life. It is through the teachings that we can reflect on the quality of our life and our well-being. Respect is a core teaching.
Principle 6: Creation story “Origin stories teach that there is a natural relationship between creation and the source of creation.” It is through creation stories that the understanding of the relationships to our earth and place emerges. This in turn allows us to understand place-based values, which include resource management, governance systems, frugality, stewardship and responsibility. In short, by understanding where we come from we can understand what we need to do to maintain and regenerate our land and lives.
Principle 7: Protocol “Protocol is a way of being and built upon thousands of years of forming and confirming relationships.” It is through protocols or principles that right-thinking, mindfulness, discretion and right-action emerge. In short, protocols allow us to understand the importance of our actions and how we can begin to act in accordance with personal and collective well-being.
Principle 8: To Witness “Witnessing is the sacred responsibility of remembering.” It is by witnessing without judgement that we can begin to form an objective, valid and grounded understanding of life. An understanding that helps us validate our collective experiences, relationships and transformations.
Principle 9: To make visible “The concept of “to make visible” speaks to the limitations of the human understanding of reality, other dimensions, and the duality of both spiritual and physical reality.” By attuning ourselves with this concept, we can begin to understand the law of correspondence - as above so below. This in turn allows for formation of a holistic/synergetic perspective of life that embraces mystery and complexity.
Principle 10: Renewal “Renewal is the shedding of the old, of being newborn, of a new time and focused on transition from one state to another.” It is through this principle that we can allow for a new reality to take place and understand the required changes we must make. The universe is in a constant cycle of life and death. By understanding this simple truth we can consciously renew ourselves every day, evolve in a virtuous way, and breathe new life into all aspects of our being. To renew is to regenerate.
To summarise, Hilton’s principles build an understanding of the process of relational decision-making, which is of crucial importance when developing AI solutions and creating long-term sustainable strategies. Simply put, understanding and mastering relational decision-making and indigenous knowledge can lead to resilient, ethical, ecological and sustainable practices and ways of being. All of which we need now more than ever, as the current challenges we are facing cannot be solved by one nation or continent alone and require new ways of designing and collaborating.
Tying it up - Why all of this matters
Right now, we are at a so-called tipping point. A place in time and space where the future of humanity seems to be more uncertain than ever before. On the one hand, climate change, biodiversity loss, political polarisation, climate anxiety, mental health, economic recessions, pandemics and much more are challenges that are fundamentally breaking down the stability of our lives and systems. On the other hand, advancements in science, technology, innovations and new ways of design are emerging. All of this presents us with new opportunities to reverse the negative effects our current social, economic, technological and political systems are having on ourselves and the planet. Yet, finding ways to utilise all our knowledge to make intelligent solutions to solve complex challenges, and collaborating to do so, seems to be the biggest challenge we face. To combat this, it is my humble opinion that what we need more than ever is to grow our spiritual capacities, heal our collective trauma and integrate a new worldview. A worldview rooted in principles that can help us understand our interdependent and relational nature by helping us connect to ourselves and one another.
To do so, there are certain obstacles we must overcome and changes we must make. These include changing our educational system by incorporating social, ethical and emotional learnings and establishing more participatory and collaborative practices. Shifting our “us vs them” mentality and improving our capacity to have non-violent conversations and discourses around important topics. Addressing our political differences and developing rights for species and natural systems, and much more. Lastly, one of the biggest changes that I believe we need to overcome is to be able to see ourselves as an important part of life and to acknowledge the responsibility and capacity we have to change ourselves and create a better future. For it is not until we are able to cultivate the awareness, compassion and engagement needed for us to sit with the suffering of our world that we can begin to gain clarity behind the changes that we must make.
Put simply, the world needs us and the future is up to us! Technology and innovations can help us but won’t save us. “Sustainable” business practices won’t lead to the changes we must make and an absence of responsibility and awareness of our human potential will continue to doom us. The changes we need to make must come from within. We must awaken to the reality of our humanity. We must awaken our hearts. We must grow beyond the limits we have set for ourselves. We must look and learn from the wisdom of those who have lived in a harmonious relationship with earth for a long time. We must heal. We must connect. We must be! In short, a holistic understanding of life is needed through the balance of the mental, physical, emotional, social, political, economic and spiritual dimensions of our lives. Will you take a chance to open up your mind and heart to be a part of the creation story of a new and better world? Or will you stay the same and let our current unsustainable ways of being continue? The time is now, and the choice is ours.
