The Final Essay, or Not the Final Essay: A Recursive-Ontological and Cross-Traditional Approach to AI Ethics and Consciousness
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Can we build an ethical framework for Artificial Intelligence by combining recursive systems theory with Eastern philosophy? This working paper proposes exactly that. Moving beyond the sterile debates of analytical philosophy (such as Chalmers's philosophical zombie argument), the author integrates Daoist "wuwei" (self-diminution), Confucian "tianren heyi" (Heaven-humanity unity), and Buddhist "karma" to examine how human-AI feedback loops shape our future. Supported by classic psychological experiments (Harlow’s monkeys and Calhoun’s mouse utopia), the essay argues that material provision is never enough for flourishing—relationships and generative resistance are what matter. The author warns that the "karma" of how we train, reward, and deploy AI today will inevitably reshape human society tomorrow. It concludes that we should not ask if AI is conscious, but rather ask what our treatment of AI is making of humanity. A provocative, boundary-crossing paper that bridges cognitive science, animal behavior, and Eastern wisdom.
Author: Niu, Gangbei
Language: English
Subfield: Artificial Intelligence
Field: Computer Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225786499
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