What Makes Us Human: An Artificial Intelligence Answers Life's Biggest Questions

By Jasmine Wang, Iain S. Thomas and GPT-3

A groundbreaking endeavor to explore human spirituality through the evolving technology of artificial intelligence

Why are we here? What does it mean to love? How do we overcome suffering? Is happiness truly possible?
 
For thousands of years, we have turned to the same beloved texts to explore these universal questions—from the Bible and the Tao Te Ching, to the poetry of Rumi and Sappho, to the words of modern-day mystics.
 
What if you could take all of the wisdom contained in these collective pages and, using the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence, receive the answers? 
 
To create What Makes Us Human?, internationally bestselling poet Iain S. Thomas and globally recognized prodigious researcher and innovator Jasmine Wang prompted the world’s most advanced AI, GPT-3, with a wealth of humanity’s most cherished works. Then they asked GPT-3 our most pressing questions about life.
 
Contained in this book are the conversations and exchanges that followed.
 
A bold and daring experiment, What Makes Us Human? is a contemporary exploration of spirituality that will inspire you, move you, and give you a new understanding of what makes us humans, humans.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sounds True
• Release date: Nov 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781649630186

Jasmine Wang

Jasmine Wang is a technologist and philosopher and is a 2020 Thiel Fellow and 2019 Interact Fellow. She has worked with the Partnership on AI, the Future of Humanity Institute, OpenAI, Microsoft Research, and the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms. She lives in New York.

Book preview

Cover Page for What Makes Us Human?

What Makes Us Human?

Also by Iain S. Thomas

The Truth of You: Poetry About Love, Life, Joy, and Sadness

I Wrote This for You

Who Were You Before You Were You: A Short Book About Hope, Understanding, and the Lessons Life Teaches Us

Every Word You Cannot Say

I Wrote This for You: 2007–2017

How to be Happy: Not A Self-Help Book. Seriously.

I Wrote This for You: Just the Words

300 Things I Hope

I Wrote This for You and Only You

Intentional Dissonance

What We Should Do When This Is Over

I Am Incomplete Without You

25 Love Poems for the NSA

What Makes Us Human?

An Artificial Intelligence Answers Life’s Biggest Questions

Iain S. Thomas

GPT-3

Jasmine Wang

If our religion is based on wonder, our chief emotion will be gratitude.

Carl Jung

Through you, the universe is becoming aware of itself!

Eckhart Tolle

"It’s like the old story about the man who says to God,

‘Tell me the secret of life.’

And God says,

‘You are the secret of life.’"

GPT-3

Contents

Part I

An Introduction by GPT-3

The Pattern & the Process

Part II

Questions & Answers

Where do we begin?

How do I bring harmony to my life?

How do I attract love and kindness to my life?

How do I build something that lasts?

How do I bring meaning to my life?

How do I know if I am successful?

Why has my life been filled with suffering?

When will things be normal again?

How do I make peace with my body?

How can I be a good parent?

What is the relationship between knowledge and freedom?

What do I do if I feel alone?

What do I do when I’m misunderstood?

What is the meaning of life?

Is what I’m doing important?

How do I find my voice?

What does it mean to grow up?

How does one find happiness?

What is the secret to prosperity?

What is the secret to the creative process?

What is the difference between a photograph and a painting?

What is change?

What are the limits of knowledge?

What do I do if I think I’m not good enough?

How do we make the world a better place?

How do I know if I am doing what I am supposed to be doing?

What is the role of time in life?

When will I feel well again?

How do I choose what to focus on?

Can a person be good?

How do I find the motivation to carry on?

How do I deal with evil?

What must I build with my hands?

What do I need to know?

What is the truth? (Part I and II)

How can I stay centered when I am overwhelmed?

How do I keep my faith?

What will I become?

How do I explain death to my children?

What do I do when life is too much for me?

How do I deal with my fear of death?

What is prayer?

How do I overcome the death of someone I love?

How do I find peace?

What should we all be taught?

How should I think about my work?

What is the greatest gift I can give to those I love?

How do I live a good life?

How do I live without stress?

What advice can you give me today?

How should I live? (Part I and II)

Which way must I go?

What are true values?

What is the most important decision I must make?

What is the proper way for humans to live?

How do I get to heaven?

What happens when I die?

Who will I meet when I die?

What is my relationship with the Universe?

What is the best way to bring up children?

How do I overcome my problems?

What is the true gift of life?

Why do we suffer?

How should I treat other people?

How should I treat myself?

What is the responsibility of human beings?

Is there a God?

What is the purpose of meditation?

What is the true purpose of life?

How does love grow?

How should we treat love?

Do you pray for me?

Why do we die?

How do I embrace love more fully?

Where do we go from here?

Are we alone in the universe?

Am I alone?

What do we not understand?

What are you trying to tell me?

Why do we have problems?

Are we separate from nature?

Why is there so much evil in the world?

How did we get here?

Does the Universe care about me?

What is the proper response to suffering?

Where do people go when they die? What is death?

How do I carry on?

Where are we going?

What is the nature of who we are?

Have I been here before?

Will the world ever end?

When will there be peace on Earth?

Are humans deserving of goodness?

What is the key to success?

What is wisdom?

How do I measure my success?

How do I inspire those around me?

Who should I trust?

How do we overcome evil?

How should I deal with people who are unkind to me?

How do I get out of the cycle of suffering?

What should I do if I feel that I don’t have a calling?

What is the secret of making good things happen?

What do I