The Pursuit of Wisdom in the Age of AI - Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?
Murat Durmus
CEO & Founder @ AISOMA AG | Thought-Provoking Thoughts on AI | Member of the Advisory Board AI Frankfurt | Author of the book "MINDFUL AI" | AI | AI-Strategy | AI-Ethics | XAI | Philosophy
One cannot write often enough about the role and understanding of knowledge and wisdom in the age of AI, because they are crucial for the future and evolution of humanity.
In our age, we should remember T.S. Eliot's profound question -
"Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?"
- because it resounds urgently and cuts through the digital noise. Our age is characterized by an unprecedented flood of data, with information streaming ceaselessly from all corners of the world, overwhelming our senses and challenging our ability to discern what is truly important.
The distinction between information, knowledge, and wisdom lies at the heart of this dilemma. Information is abundant and easily accessible but raw and unpolished - a chaotic stream of facts and figures. Knowledge is created when information is processed, understood, and put into context. This step is where data becomes meaningful, patterns are recognized, and insights are gained. However, knowledge alone is not enough. Wisdom goes beyond knowledge; it is the ability to apply that knowledge wisely, to understand the broader implications, and to act with foresight and compassion.
At first glance, AI systems are excellent at processing vast amounts of information, recognizing patterns, and generating knowledge. They can analyze data sets with a speed and scope unimaginable to the human mind. However, transforming knowledge into wisdom remains a purely human endeavor. Artificial intelligence can provide us with tools and insights, but it is up to us to use them wisely.
The great danger is that we become so enthralled by the sheer volume of information and AI's ability to process it that we lose sight of the deeper purpose. We run the risk of risk, drowning in data and confusing the accumulation of knowledge with proper understanding. Wisdom requires reflection, ethical consideration, and a deep sense of interconnectedness.
The pursuit of wisdom in the age of AI requires a critical awareness of these technologies' biases and limitations. AI systems are not infallible; they reflect the data and intentions with which they have been designed. Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that our pursuit of wisdom through AI is guided by the principles of equality, justice, and humanity.
We should think more about our priorities in the age of AI. Eliot's question asks us to go beyond the mere accumulation of knowledge and seek a deeper, more comprehensive understanding of our world and our place in it. The wisdom we seek lies not in the data or the algorithms but in our ability to use them thoughtfully, ethically, and compassionately. It lies in our ability to transform knowledge into actions that uplift, enlighten, and sustain the human spirit.
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Murat
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Senior IT Project Leader
2moProfound truth. The real challenge is how to apply these principles through our will and actions in the ecosystem in which we live.
A.I. and Emerging Technologies Educator, Entrepreneur, Author, Speaker and Advisor. M. Ed. Peace Ambassador. Founder of A.I. for All Inc. Let’s talk about Peacebuilding using AI and emerging technologies! 🤖✨
2moCouldn’t agree more! I’m also very passionate about this topic!
TOYOTA
5moI'll keep this in mind
Dr
6moDear Murat Durmus thank you for sharing your thoughts on these important topics. Language always differentiates concepts that are inherently distinct. Information, knowledge and wisdom, these three concepts, reflect different entities even when they are sometimes mixed up in common speech. As you pointed out, AIs work at incredible speed processing loads of data, identifying patterns, highlighting their nature and distribution according to space/time scales, mirroring this way the dynamics of ongoing processes and based on that information they make predictions... But there is no Knowledge involved in this process, there is no deep true interpretation that so far only human beings are capable of. Wisdom depends on personal life experience, on a strong framework of values and I would say, following the Ancient Greek, mainly on good nature.
Graduate Student at Teesside Univ |Web Server Technician |Certified Ethical Hacker |Software Engineer Inc. - UviTech
6moWell articulated and inciteful