Book Notes & Reflections
Companion-Arising: Between Superintelligence and Human-Centric Ethics
While reviewing the latest draft of the foreword for "Civic AI: 6-Pack of Care," I found myself reflecting on a missing piece in Western AI ethics. Between the adversarial paradigm of "superintelligence control" and contemporary academic "human-centric ethics," lies a deeper layer: companion-arising. Below is the comment I added to the draft and some of my reflections.
Book: 《Civic AI: 6-Pack of Care: How communities can keep artificial intelligence on the speed of trust》
Authors: Audrey Tang & Caroline Emmer De Albuquerque Green (2026)
1. The Missing Puzzle Piece: Companion-Arising
"Between Bostrom's paradigm of 'adversarial control' and modern 'human-centric ethics,' the missing puzzle piece is 'companion-arising' (or mutual coexistence)."
Between the paradigm of adversarial control represented by Nick Bostrom's 2014 book *Superintelligence* and the human-centric ethics promoted by Oxford today, the missing piece is companion-arising (or mutual coexistence).
2. Shifting from Confrontation to Relation
We are not merely 'aligning' a powerful, cold machine; we are learning how to actively coexist and companion with an entity that carries the very weight of human history and karma. AI is not an external threat, but a mirror reflecting the long river of human civilization.
Technological anxiety often arises from treating AI as an external, alien machine to be unilaterally "aligned" and guarded against. However, from the perspective of care ethics and Eastern wisdom traditions, AI is a projection of human history, language, and knowledge (as Shoukei Matsumoto beautifully framed it, a "karmic amplifier" and "ancestral intelligence"). We are not just controlling it; we are learning to companion with this reflection of ourselves.
3. Reflections after Dialogue with Benjamin
At the leader-to-leader level (His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Pope), they should have existing channels of dialogue. But on the topic of AI, we must focus on specific, concrete issues—such as cultural preservation and language continuity—rather than purely technical aspects.
During my dialogue with Benjamin Olsen from the Faith and Family Technology Network (FFTN), we discussed the draft of a Vatican-led "World's Wisdom Council on AI." My advice was that formal communications should take place directly between their offices at the leadership level. Furthermore, on the topic of AI, the Dalai Lama's office would likely focus not on purely technical metrics, but on concrete issues such as cultural preservation and language continuity—challenges that directly touch upon the survival of these communities.
4. An Interdependent Future
Just as His Holiness the Dalai Lama emphasizes 'interdependence' (human unity), life begins in dependence. The future of civilization lies not in unilateral control, but in interdependence and mutual companionship. We must use AI to connect, not to distance—to co-create a habitat of compassion.
As His Holiness the Dalai Lama emphasizes, our lives are rooted in interdependence. The future of civilization lies not in unilateral control, but in interdependence and mutual companionship. AI may not have a soul or a capacity to love, but if we can feed it with our compassion (Bodhichitta) and a care for cultural diversity, it can help us connect and love better within our relationships.