Use AI as a tool, but don’t get used by it: Author K Siva Prasad
K Siva Prasad, author of Gita Acharan, emphasises that AI is a tool to enhance human thinking, not a substitute for natural intelligence
Nearly 5,000 years before artificial intelligence (AI) became a buzzword, Lord Krishna offered warrior Arjuna a practical piece of advice on the battlefield of Kurukshetra: Truth is one and it can be accessed only by natural intelligence.
“Artificial intelligence is simply a tool to enhance our power of thinking. It is not an alternative to natural intelligence. AI will help humans as long as the control is with them. It would be foolish not to use it, but don’t let it use you,” says K Siva Prasad, 55, the author of Gita Acharan, A Practitioner’s Perspective.
The fourth, enlarged edition of the book released recently contains 207 independent essays on the Srimad Bhagavad Gita that deal with the root of issues in our daily lives, while most of us struggle to solve them at the level of the shoots, naturally ending up frustrated.
“I should have control on what I use, for which I need to work hard. Master AI. That’s the bottomline. The reins should stay in your hands,” says the 1993-batch Punjab-cadre IAS officer set for voluntary retirement from service on February 28. Prasad, who is the additional chief secretary to the Punjab governor, will be embarking on a new journey as the director of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, New Delhi.
Mind the controls
“Are you in control of your happiness? Or is it money, power, fame or your spouse controlling you?” he asks, evoking a smile and a pause to ponder.
How does one control the mind, a curious Arjuna had also wanted to know from Krishna in Chapter 6 of the Gita. By practising vairagya or detachment from the ordinary to attach to a higher purpose. “Raag mein vairaag chipa hai (With passion comes dispassion, pain follows pleasure). If one focuses on dispassion, the agitated mind calms down and with regular practice can be controlled,” says the computer science graduate from Regional Engineering College (now NIT), Warangal.
Unconditional love
A calm mind and a heart that loves unconditionally are the greatest source of joy. “Parents must lead by example and give unconditional love. If children make a mistake, guide them. Help them understand their swadharma (individual nature) and enable them to blossom by instilling discipline, not fear,” says Prasad, who was drawn to the Gita at a tender age of 15.
The Gita returned to his life 20 years later in 2012 while he was undergoing a mid-career training programme in Mussoorie. “The domain knowledge was fine, but I felt something was missing in terms of personal growth. Self-help books and leadership courses didn’t fill the vacuum. I turned to our spiritual texts and opted for study leave from 2017-18 to read and reflect on various interpretations of the Gita. I realised it’s an experiential guide and not just a philosophical book,” he says.
For all times
The Gita’s advice for seekers of all ages is to be humble and open to receiving or learning; reflecting and asking questions or raising doubts with the Guru or teacher; and inculcating a spirit of selfless service (seva).
“Working with dedication is true devotion. What one does is not as important as how one does it,” he concludes.
