Resources
The field of AI is complex and fast-evolving. In the future, we plan to develop materials to get others “up to speed” on the field of AI and the intersections between AI and Buddhism. In the meantime, we offer here an introductory sample of resources that we find helpful in navigating the terrain.
Wang Zi-Won, Mechanical Avalokiteśvara, 2011 sculpture
How are Buddhist practitioners relating to AI?
Ross Nervig - What A.I. Means for Buddhism (2024 Lion’s Roar article) - “Since AI will undoubtedly have an ever-increasing impact on our culture, many Buddhists … feel that there is no choice but to relate to it—and to see if it can be of benefit.”
Peter D. Hershock - A Buddhist Perspective on AI (2025 FLI article) - “The AI-facilitated intelligence revolution is claimed by some to be setting humanity on a glidepath into utopian futures of nearly effortless satisfaction and frictionless choice. We should beware.”
How are Buddhist practitioners relating to AI?
Ross Nervig - What A.I. Means for Buddhism (2024 Lion’s Roar article) - “Since AI will undoubtedly have an ever-increasing impact on our culture, many Buddhists … feel that there is no choice but to relate to it—and to see if it can be of benefit.”
Peter D. Hershock - A Buddhist Perspective on AI (2025 FLI article) - “The AI-facilitated intelligence revolution is claimed by some to be setting humanity on a glidepath into utopian futures of nearly effortless satisfaction and frictionless choice. We should beware.”
How are Buddhist practitioners relating to AI?
Ross Nervig - What A.I. Means for Buddhism (2024 Lion’s Roar article) - “Since AI will undoubtedly have an ever-increasing impact on our culture, many Buddhists … feel that there is no choice but to relate to it—and to see if it can be of benefit.”
Peter D. Hershock - A Buddhist Perspective on AI (2025 FLI article) - “The AI-facilitated intelligence revolution is claimed by some to be setting humanity on a glidepath into utopian futures of nearly effortless satisfaction and frictionless choice. We should beware.”
New to the promises and perils of AI?
Tristan Harris - Is AI Apocalypse Inevitable? (Video, 17min.) - In this episode of After Skool, Tristan Harris explores how we can pursue a narrow path between the two most probable futures that AI will create.
Adam Jones - What risks does AI pose? (Article) - AI already poses many significant risks, and future AI systems could exacerbate anticipated catastrophic risks, as outlined by BlueDot Impact.
New to the promises and perils of AI?
Tristan Harris - Is AI Apocalypse Inevitable? (Video, 17min.) - In this episode of After Skool, Tristan Harris explores how we can pursue a narrow path between the two most probable futures that AI will create.
Adam Jones - What risks does AI pose? (Article) - AI already poses many significant risks, and future AI systems could exacerbate anticipated catastrophic risks, as outlined by BlueDot Impact.
New to the promises and perils of AI?
Tristan Harris - Is AI Apocalypse Inevitable? (Video, 17min.) - In this episode of After Skool, Tristan Harris explores how we can pursue a narrow path between the two most probable futures that AI will create.
Adam Jones - What risks does AI pose? (Article) - AI already poses many significant risks, and future AI systems could exacerbate anticipated catastrophic risks, as outlined by BlueDot Impact.
How are religious and spiritual traditions responding to AI?
The Vatican - Antiqua et Nova (2025 Doctrinal Note) - “We are called to reflect on the current challenges and opportunities posed by scientific and technological advancements, particularly by the recent development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)".
AI & Faith (Interfaith Nonprofit) - AI&F is a network of experts whose projects touch on the many ways in which AI-powered technologies are informing and being informed by spiritual wisdom, from sacred text translation, to new research paradigms, to policy change.
How are religious and spiritual traditions responding to AI?
The Vatican - Antiqua et Nova (2025 Doctrinal Note) - “We are called to reflect on the current challenges and opportunities posed by scientific and technological advancements, particularly by the recent development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)".
AI & Faith (Interfaith Nonprofit) - AI&F is a network of experts whose projects touch on the many ways in which AI-powered technologies are informing and being informed by spiritual wisdom, from sacred text translation, to new research paradigms, to policy change.
How are religious and spiritual traditions responding to AI?
The Vatican - Antiqua et Nova (2025 Doctrinal Note) - “We are called to reflect on the current challenges and opportunities posed by scientific and technological advancements, particularly by the recent development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)".
AI & Faith (Interfaith Nonprofit) - AI&F is a network of experts whose projects touch on the many ways in which AI-powered technologies are informing and being informed by spiritual wisdom, from sacred text translation, to new research paradigms, to policy change.
How can Buddhist wisdom meaningfully engage with AI?
Ruben Laukkonen, et al - Contemplative Wisdom for Superalignment (2025 Academic Paper) - “Rather than externally constraining behavior, we advocate designing AI with intrinsic morality built into its cognitive architecture and world model … inspired by contemplative wisdom traditions.”
Thomas Doctor, et al - Biology, Buddhism, and AI: Care as the Driver of Intelligence (2022 Academic Paper) - “Buddhist concepts offer a unique perspective and facilitate a consilience of biology, cognitive science, and computer science toward understanding intelligence in truly diverse embodiments.”
How can Buddhist wisdom meaningfully engage with AI?
Ruben Laukkonen, et al - Contemplative Wisdom for Superalignment (2025 Academic Paper) - “Rather than externally constraining behavior, we advocate designing AI with intrinsic morality built into its cognitive architecture and world model … inspired by contemplative wisdom traditions.”
Thomas Doctor, et al - Biology, Buddhism, and AI: Care as the Driver of Intelligence (2022 Academic Paper) - “Buddhist concepts offer a unique perspective and facilitate a consilience of biology, cognitive science, and computer science toward understanding intelligence in truly diverse embodiments.”
How can Buddhist wisdom meaningfully engage with AI?
Ruben Laukkonen, et al - Contemplative Wisdom for Superalignment (2025 Academic Paper) - “Rather than externally constraining behavior, we advocate designing AI with intrinsic morality built into its cognitive architecture and world model … inspired by contemplative wisdom traditions.”
Thomas Doctor, et al - Biology, Buddhism, and AI: Care as the Driver of Intelligence (2022 Academic Paper) - “Buddhist concepts offer a unique perspective and facilitate a consilience of biology, cognitive science, and computer science toward understanding intelligence in truly diverse embodiments.”
Interested in Diving Deeper?
Our project aims to support the nascent Buddhism-AI dialogue to ensure that wisdom traditions can meaningfully contribute to technological developments. Here are some additional resources that help deepen our understanding.
Karen Hao - Empire of AI (Video/Audio Interview) - Author discusses her 2025 book about how AI is threatening democracy, harming the environment, and creating a new colonial world.
Arvind Narayanan & Sayash Kapoor - AI as Normal Technology (2025 Essay) - “We do not think that viewing AI as a humanlike intelligence is currently accurate or useful for understanding its societal impacts, nor is it likely to be in our vision of the future.”
Peter D. Hershock - Buddhism and Intelligent Technology (2021 Book) - “Offering a new way to think about attention, personal presence, and ethics as intelligent technology shatters previously foundational certainties and opens entirely new spaces of opportunity.”
Soraj Hongladarom - The Ethics of AI and Robotics: A Buddhist Viewpoint (2020 Book) - “Argues that any kind of ethical guidelines for AI and robotics must combine two kinds of excellence together, namely the technical and the ethical.”
Murray Shanahan, Tara Das, Robert Thurman - The Xeno Sutra: Can Meaning and Value be Ascribed to an AI-Generated "Sacred" Text? (2025 Academic Paper) - “A case study in the use of a large language model to generate a fictional Buddhist ‘sutra’.”
Dilip V. Jeste, et al. - Beyond artificial intelligence: exploring artificial wisdom (2020 Academic Paper) - “The term ‘intelligence’ does not best represent the technological needs of advancing society … the future need in technology is for artificial wisdom (AW).”
Interested in Diving Deeper?
Our project aims to support the nascent Buddhism-AI dialogue to ensure that wisdom traditions can meaningfully contribute to technological developments. Here are some additional resources that help deepen our understanding.
Karen Hao - Empire of AI (Video/Audio Interview) - Author discusses her 2025 book about how AI is threatening democracy, harming the environment, and creating a new colonial world.
Arvind Narayanan & Sayash Kapoor - AI as Normal Technology (2025 Essay) - “We do not think that viewing AI as a humanlike intelligence is currently accurate or useful for understanding its societal impacts, nor is it likely to be in our vision of the future.”
Peter D. Hershock - Buddhism and Intelligent Technology (2021 Book) - “Offering a new way to think about attention, personal presence, and ethics as intelligent technology shatters previously foundational certainties and opens entirely new spaces of opportunity.”
Soraj Hongladarom - The Ethics of AI and Robotics: A Buddhist Viewpoint (2020 Book) - “Argues that any kind of ethical guidelines for AI and robotics must combine two kinds of excellence together, namely the technical and the ethical.”
Murray Shanahan, Tara Das, Robert Thurman - The Xeno Sutra: Can Meaning and Value be Ascribed to an AI-Generated "Sacred" Text? (2025 Academic Paper) - “A case study in the use of a large language model to generate a fictional Buddhist ‘sutra’.”
Dilip V. Jeste, et al. - Beyond artificial intelligence: exploring artificial wisdom (2020 Academic Paper) - “The term ‘intelligence’ does not best represent the technological needs of advancing society … the future need in technology is for artificial wisdom (AW).”
Interested in Diving Deeper?
Our project aims to support the nascent Buddhism-AI dialogue to ensure that wisdom traditions can meaningfully contribute to technological developments. Here are some additional resources that help deepen our understanding.
Karen Hao - Empire of AI (Video/Audio Interview) - Author discusses her 2025 book about how AI is threatening democracy, harming the environment, and creating a new colonial world.
Arvind Narayanan & Sayash Kapoor - AI as Normal Technology (2025 Essay) - “We do not think that viewing AI as a humanlike intelligence is currently accurate or useful for understanding its societal impacts, nor is it likely to be in our vision of the future.”
Peter D. Hershock - Buddhism and Intelligent Technology (2021 Book) - “Offering a new way to think about attention, personal presence, and ethics as intelligent technology shatters previously foundational certainties and opens entirely new spaces of opportunity.”
Soraj Hongladarom - The Ethics of AI and Robotics: A Buddhist Viewpoint (2020 Book) - “Argues that any kind of ethical guidelines for AI and robotics must combine two kinds of excellence together, namely the technical and the ethical.”
Murray Shanahan, Tara Das, Robert Thurman - The Xeno Sutra: Can Meaning and Value be Ascribed to an AI-Generated "Sacred" Text? (2025 Academic Paper) - “A case study in the use of a large language model to generate a fictional Buddhist ‘sutra’.”
Dilip V. Jeste, et al. - Beyond artificial intelligence: exploring artificial wisdom (2020 Academic Paper) - “The term ‘intelligence’ does not best represent the technological needs of advancing society … the future need in technology is for artificial wisdom (AW).”
AI is raising deep questions that Buddhism has been exploring for millennia.
Mindstream Project Ltd © 2025.
AI is raising deep questions that Buddhism has been exploring for millennia.
Mindstream Project Ltd © 2025.