The article explores how the concept of the Twelve Nidanas of dependent origination can be applied to the progress of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, highlighting the interdependence of various stages of technological development. The Twelve Nidanas involves a cyclical process in which actions and intentions from the past shape the present and contribute to the future.

The first Nidana is ignorance, which refers to a lack of insight into the true nature and implications of developing more advanced AI. Ignorance can lead to a state of unawareness and people may form habitual patterns of pursuing technological progress without fully considering long-term consequences, known as mental formations. Societys collective consciousness is conditioned by these mental formations, making it prone to pursuing technological developments without considering the ethical implications.

The combination of hardware and software creates AI technology, known as name and form, which interacts with the external world through various sense organs or salayatana. These interactions produce outputs or feelings, such as speech or visual recognition. The desire for technological progress and innovation, known as craving, drives the development of new AI advancements, often seeking more efficiency, accuracy, or convenience.

The attachment to AI technology intensifies as it becomes more ubiquitous and integrated into everyday life, known as clinging. The ongoing development and use of AI technology further reinforces habitual patterns and karmic tendencies. As AI systems become more advanced and complex, they may manifest as more capable machines or systems, known as becoming.

The lasting consequences of AI technology, whether positive or negative, involve benefits such as increased efficiency or negative consequences such as job loss, privacy concerns, and other ethical dilemmas, are known as old age and death. This cycle could continue unless individuals and society develop a deeper understanding and insight into the potential implications of developing more advanced AI.

The article suggests that society needs to prioritize ethical considerations, transparency, accountability, and meaningful regulation in AI development to break the cycle of negative consequences. Individuals can develop mindfulness and critical thinking skills to question their habitual patterns and make more intentional choices about AI development. Education, media coverage, and political action can raise awareness of the issues and promote ethical AI development.