Zen, Consciousness, and the Future of AI | Ram Srinivasan - The Conscious Machine, Future of Work & AGI

Can AI ever be aware? Can it be conscious, and if so, what would that mean for business and the future of work?

In this week's show, Jeremy and Mark sit down with Ram Srinivasan, author of The Conscious Machine: From Artificial to Enlightened Intelligence, to think on paper about consciousness, Advaita Vedanta, panpsychism and why Eastern philosophy changes how we design every AI system. It might be the most important podcast on AI you listen to today.

• Rethinking work in an exponential age Linear mindsets can’t keep pace with automation. We explore how to direct AI toward human flourishing, not just efficiency.
• Trust as the new currency From autonomous agents to AI-native organizations, credibility, values and wisdom are the foundations of any lasting advantage.

Please enjoy the show. And share it with a curious friend.

--

Links & Resources

Ram Srinivasan: https://www.ram-srinivasan.com/

The Conscious Machine: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4R9NJ53

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramsrinivasanmit/

Follow Thinking on Paper

Podcast: www.thinkingonpaper.xyz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingonpaperpodcast/

X: https://x.com/thinkonpaperpod

--

Timestamps

(00:00) Exploring the Future of Work and AI

(00:53) The Intersection of Consciousness and Technology (03:44) Advaita Vedanta: Understanding Consciousness

(06:40) Materialism vs. Non-Dualism in AI

(14:25) The Shift from Knowledge to Wisdom

(16:29) Post-Labor Economics and AI’s Role

(19:01) Building Trust in AI Agents

(21:46) The Currency of Trust in Business

(26:35) The AI-Native Workplace: A New Era

(30:37) Navigating Trust and Critical Thinking in AI

(33:16) Human-Centric Technology: The Future of Work

(35:33) What Should Humans Be?

--

Watch Next

Kevin Kelly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awZ5LRX8o6o&ab_channel=ThinkingOnPaper