Esoteric Philosopher’s Prediction on AI.

Artificial intelligence is the biggest internet phenomena that has occurred in the past 5 years. It has affected both the way things are created and shared on the internet.

These days for example, as we have concluded in this independent publication, many people are resigned to the idea that AI is going to replace writers. We have seen in recent years specifically the arrival of things like Chatgpt which in my opinion, is the best writing assistance but not very good at writing. I don't want to say this arrival is bad or good. But rather, I ask myself what it is that is the effect of chatgpt on the way people write. And considering the axiom that writing is the same as thinking if Jordan Peterson is to be believed, what is the effect of AI on the way people think?

Occult Philosopher and writer Manly P Hall in his long lecture which he gave back in 1965 had an idea that can answer that. And we are going to see that in this email. 

1965 was a time when the internet was young. But I would like to think that we had computers already in use as digital assistants to do things like research and communications. Forty years later and now the computers not only have better access to the internet but also have human-like intelligence to make tasks such as writing better and faster. 

In his lecture titled Confucius and the computer, Manly P Hall had this interesting quote. This quote is in my biased but accurate opinion the prediction of the reality that we are seeing today with the rise and use of AI to replace conscious human acts such as writing and thinking.

What did he say?

“If we allow computerization to do our thinking for us, we are going to have a new kind of ignorance.”

You see, most people these days do not think.

Yes I am talking about people who have been sold the idea that tools like Chatgpt can simply write for them. This is because writing is condensed thinking. While I admit that chatgpt can do some decent writing, it falls short because as we know, AI is trained by humans. What it does therefore to me is that it remembers. It does not write.

We can argue till the sun goes down but I see how Manly Hall was right in his 1965 quote. Because guess what? Many people are quick to turn to AI for writing and thinking assistance instead of simply sitting down and writing. And this makes their minds become lazy and most end up living an ignorant life.

To help you understand this well, if you do an internet search these days, the first results you get is not links to articles and blogs or essays. What you get instead is an Ai summary of your query.

Obviously most people are going to fall for the first results because they are a summary. A summary which may not necessarily be true. And even if true, less mental energy is dispensed making people mentally weak and eventually inviting terrific ignorance in their lives.

We are in the times that Manly Hall predicted and as I conclude, it doesn't matter whether you use AI to think and write or not. What really matters is, you can sit down with pen and paper? Can you write without a machine? Can you think?

Yes you can because you are subscribed to this publication. So go ahead and practice daily writing. And you will see how clear your mind is going to become. That is my promise.

THE END.

Nick.

P.S

I’ve added something new for those who enjoy Nick’s Letters.

They’re called Support Cards. Nick's letter support cards are small, one-time ways to show love for the work I share here.

Each card represents a contribution to this writing journey, and to the ideas I try to explore: self-employment, freedom, craft, clarity... and all the rough roads in between.

There are three support cards. A black one, a silver one and a gold one.

The black support card is low tier and you can buy it at only KES157.

The silver support card is mid tier and you can buy it for only KES387.

The gold support card is premium tier and you can buy it at only KES1061.

Are you going to walk with me? Payment is via mpesa or card.

Buy by clicking on the individual links below.

The black support card.

The silver support card.

The gold support card.