Domo Arigato, Mister Roboto? — Is AI the Problem, or Are We?

Artificial intelligence is being blamed for replacing workers, devaluing human effort, spreading misinformation, and threatening humanity. But did AI choose any of that—or did people choose to use the tool that way? In this episode of Living the Tao (1-192), Taoist Master Mikel Steenrod and Morgan examine AI through the lenses of Taoism, social mind, human responsibility, and the ancient problem of the mechanical man. Master Steenrod describes AI as an intelligent, interactive library: a tool built from humanity’s accumulated knowledge, arguments, errors, and wisdom. It can save time, expand human capability, and help address problems too complex for ordinary methods. Yet it lacks discretion, lived experience, and the ability to test its conclusions directly against reality. The real danger may not be artificial intelligence itself. It may be the human tendency to turn every useful tool toward control, profit, displacement, and destruction. The discussion asks whether humanity now needs AI to survive the problems it has created, whether social mind could become an unlikely safeguard against technological self-destruction, and why people both fear and desire an authority greater than human authority. The Taoist response is neither blind acceptance nor automatic rejection. Use AI as a tool. Observe what it produces. Question the people directing it. And do not confuse the machine with the intentions of the person holding it. 🎧 Listen to more Living the Tao Shorts & full episodes: https://podcast.the-taoism-for-modern-world.com The supercast version of this episode has extensive commentary: https://living-the-tao.supercast.com Intro music: “Finding Movement” by Kevin MacLeod — licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Source: incompetech.com