The Impact of AI

Whether we want it or not, technological advancement is here to stay. It arises from the human urge to know more, do more, and make life ‘easier’. Much of it is used for comfort and convenience for the body and mind. Yet technology becomes truly worthy of respect only when it is used in service of the right causes.

A knife in the hands of a criminal and a knife in the hands of a chef can produce very different outcomes. The same is true of every technology, including AI. Its impact does not depend only on what it can do, but on the values and purposes that guide the people who build it and use it.

How do we ensure that AI has a positive impact?

Whether AI leads to beneficial outcomes depends largely on the value system behind its provision and use. It depends on the guardrails implemented by those who develop it and the intentions of those who use it. The impact AI creates in society and the future it shapes will be determined not merely by its power, but by the values that direct that power.

What values should guide technology providers and users?

If AI is to remain a helpful tool rather than become something that subtly drives our thinking, choices, and way of life, we must first understand the higher unique ability that human beings are meant to cultivate.

That higher ability is not merely the ability to speak—trained parrots can speak. It is not the ability to dress well or eat cooked food; those alone do not make one truly human. Great sage Ya:ska explains that the distinctive human ability is the capacity to realize and respond appropriately. Other beings may react, but a human being has the capacity to respond with understanding.

Just as oxygen is identified by the code O2, let us say that the true code of a human being is R2—realize and respond.

A human being rises to the level of R2 when he learns to recognize truth, purpose, and consequence, and then responds to them in the right way. This response is not limited to one area of life. It must extend across five levels: the body, the family, society, nature, and the Supreme. When a human being matures into such an R2 product, that is where actual intelligence lies. That is the real AI. Otherwise, machines and robots will be far better than us.

What does it mean to realize and respond?

To realize and respond does not only mean to feel deeply or think cleverly. It means to understand the place, purpose, and consequence of one’s actions and to respond in a way that nourishes rather than disturbs life.

At the level of the body, it means not using technology in ways that weaken discipline, attention, or inner clarity.
At the level of family, it means not allowing convenience to replace care, presence, and responsibility.
At the level of society, it means not using intelligence or technology to manipulate, exploit, or mislead.
At the level of nature, it means not deepening greed, waste, and harm in the name of progress.
At the level of the Supreme, it means remembering that intelligence is not merely the ability to compute, but the ability to live in alignment with truth and purpose.

One becomes truly realized and responsive when one learns to respond rightly at all five levels, without harming one in the name of serving another. Only when a human being learns to respond in this way can technology remain a servant rather than become a silent master.

This quality of realizing and responding is not merely a philosophical ideal. Ithiha:sa shows it to us in the life of Rama

Rama: the ideal of realize and respond

Minister Sumanthra of Ayodhya reported to Dasaratha an incident he witnessed while returning to Ayodhya after sending off Rama at the banks of the river Ganga. He said that the trees, once lush and green, and the waters, once cool and pleasant, were no longer the same on his return.

api vruksha:ha parimla:na sa-pushpa-anukura-ko:raka:ha
upathapthado:ka:ha nadyaha palvala:ni para:nthapa

The trees had withered, not because of the external weather, but out of the anguish of separation from Rama. The rivers and ponds seemed to release scorching vapours, not because of the heat of the sun, but because they too were burning in the pain of separation from Rama.

Rama was such an ideal human being that even Nature responded to Him with warmth and concern. He recognized reality as it truly is and responded to it in the right way, at every level of life. In return, he experienced that same harmony from the world around him.

This is what it means to realize and respond. It is not merely a private virtue or a moral slogan. It is a way of living in alignment with reality so deeply that one’s life begins to reflect the Supreme order, become an instrument of care, and contribute to harmony and overall well-being.

What does this mean for AI?

Only such human beings can shape and use technology for the right purposes and in the right way. A person who has not learned to respond rightly to life will not use AI rightly either. He may use it to amplify speed, comfort, influence, or control, but not wisdom.

So let us first strive to become R2 products ourselves—human beings who realize rightly and respond rightly. Then AI, too, can be guided in the way we train it: grounded in right values, directed toward right purposes, and used in service of universal well-being.

– From the teachings of HH Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji
– 2nd July 2026, Toronto, Canada
159 Canada Day

Audience Q and A

What would you say to those who want to use AI in support of bhakthi?

AI can often offer practical ideas quickly and efficiently. Technology in itself is not wrong. Like a knife, it is only a tool. In the hands of a doctor, a knife can heal and save life; in the hands of a thief, it can harm and take life. The tool itself is not to be blamed—the intention and purpose behind its use determine whether it becomes beneficial or dangerous.

The same is true of AI. Much technology today is used for selfish purposes, and that is when it becomes dangerous. But the very same technology is also being used for noble causes, including saving and improving lives. What is required is discrimination—the ability to use a tool in the right way, for the right purpose. That applies even in the field of bhakthi.

How do we search for the answer to “Who am I?”

Do not search for the “I” merely within the body. If one keeps digging only into the layers of bodily or mental identity, one may first encounter many disturbing tendencies—jealousy, anger, passion, greed, and so on. That alone does not reveal the truth of who we are.

Instead, one must approach the right Guru and receive proper guidance. Under the guidance of a true Acha, one can gradually understand one’s real identity.

Every major technology has amplified human abilities. AI may amplify our intelligence too. What inner qualities must we cultivate so that it increases systems and not ego?

Compassion and concern are essential. When intelligence is driven only by self-interest, it can easily become like a weapon in the hands of the wrong person. But when compassion and concern arise in the heart, the focus shifts from self-centered gain to supporting and helping others.

These qualities are vital. When compassion and concern guide the use of technology, that technology becomes a force for good.

The younger generation is increasingly drawn toward worldly goals and desires. As parents, what can we do to help future generations grow toward spiritual goals?

Parents have an important role to play in shaping the roots of their children. Swamiji gave the example of a mango tree: it grows according to the quality of the soil in which it is planted, yet it does not lose its essential nature as a mango tree. In the same way, children may grow amidst changing surroundings, but they must remain rooted in the cultural and spiritual values that define them.

Children are not bad. They are like beautiful white sheets of paper. What gets drawn on them depends greatly on the care, attention, and effort invested by parents and elders. Families must consciously strengthen their roots—through culture, values, and time-tested traditions. Beyond school education, children should also be given opportunities to learn this side of life, whether in the evenings or on weekends. Swamiji noted that in places such as Canada and the United States, many children do receive dedicated time outside school to learn culture and tradition. That effort is important.

AI is increasingly influencing human relationships, while family structures seem to be declining. How do we use a spiritual foundation when human connections are becoming less central?

Technology itself is not the problem. As already mentioned, technology is a tool, and what matters is how we use it. If children are naturally drawn to screens, then parents and elders should consciously use those very platforms to offer something uplifting—good stories, noble themes, and meaningful content. Even play can be shaped in a positive direction when guided by the right values.

The answer, then, is not merely to reject technology, but to infuse its use with spiritual and cultural substance.

How is learning from AI fundamentally different from learning directly from a Guru?

AI can give words, sentences, and information. But a living Guru can reveal the depth that lies between two words and between two sentences. There are many layers of depths that a guru can unveil for a seeker. A Guru does not merely convey information; he unfolds meaning, context, and inner transformation.

That is why a (offline Guru – laughs) living Guru remains indispensable.

What can AI genuinely help us learn, and what are its limitations?

We should not begin to think that AI is the whole world. Whenever a new technology emerges, it can initially appear all-encompassing, as though it will define everything. But gradually, excitement settles, and things return to fundamental truths.

AI may assist in many ways, but it cannot replace the deeper truths of life, nor can it become the final authority on them.

There are predictions that human relationships and marriage itself may decline sharply in the future. How does spirituality anchor us in such a situation?

Unfortunately, much of our education, knowledge, and understanding is moving in the wrong direction. Merely satisfying the needs of the body is not enough. Preserving lineage, responsibility, and continuity in society is also essential.

If our ancestors had thought only of their own immediate comfort, we would not be here today. We must think not only about ourselves and the present moment, but also about the future—about the generations and the world that will come after us. They should not have reason to reproach us for failing to preserve what was entrusted to us. Bhagavad Githa states, each of us must do our part and respond responsibly—karmanye:va…

How do we know that we are connected to a higher power?

Every day, without fail, we fall asleep and wake up again. Our heart continues to function in a precise order, even without our conscious effort. Wherever there is such order and functioning, there must be a governing power behind it.

When a flight takes off, there is control both within the aircraft and from the ground. When a rocket is launched, there is a system of control guiding it. In the same way, when our own body functions with order and continuity—without our deliberate management—it points to a higher governing presence. That power is not ourselves. That is the Supreme power.