This week I look at the hubbub surrounding the introduction of large language chatbots, the latest evolutionarily-potent development in artificial intelligence.

A long-time listener asked ChatGPT to write a poem expressing Ken Wilber’s developmental stages. The result (below) is mind-blowing. How is it possible for a machine to create three verses that capture the essence of developmental theory so well?

Mind-blowing, yes, but is it beautiful? Can it be beautiful when it was written by a machine? Welcome to humanity’s next stage of understanding itself and our place in the cosmos.

ALSO, it’s Trump’s turn in the dock with his indictment in Manhattan. Is this good or bad for democracy? For the answer, we look to the old Chinese farmer …

I hope you enjoy the episode! – Jeff Salzman

PS – This is an edited version of a live “Fireside Chat” I do with the Integral Life Practice Community every first and third Wednesday of the month. Join me this Wednesday, April 19, at 1 pm Pacific Time (Zoom link).

On Ken Wilber’s Developmental Theory

by ChatGPT

Ascending the steps, we embark,
On a journey through levels so stark,
Wilber’s wisdom reveals,
That development heals,
As we climb, a new consciousness sparks.

In the spiral of growth, we find,
Our perceptions and thoughts intertwined,
With each stage that we pass,
A more intricate grasp,
Of the depths of humanity’s mind.

From the shadows to radiant light,
Through these stages our souls take flight,
In a dance of ascent,
Where our hearts find content,
In the wisdom that guides us to unite.

Sleepy Hollow: The legend, the facts, and the history in between