Artificial Intelligence, A Vedanta Perspective

 

YOU THINK THEREFORE YOU ARE?

OR 

YOU ARE THEREFORE YOU THINK?

Cogito, ergo sum, or, “I think, therefore I am”, said the French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes.

But Vedanta, the ancient Indian spiritual thought, has always maintained that “You ARE, therefore, you think”. That it is your consciousness that illumines thought and the mind essentially, belongs to the world of matter - the Panchakosha, or the five layers of your bodily existence ranging from the subtle, which is the manas, or mind and to the gross, which is the physical body. And it firmly tell us that the Soul stands apart from the mind, as a witness and the Illuminor of the world. It also says that the ultimate goal of the soul is to be liberated from its identification with the mind as well as the body.

Of course, western philosophy, so influenced by those such as Descartes have vigorously opposed this thought. And science has not quite inquired about what someone called “The Hard Problem of Consciousness.”

And then comes along AI. Fooling around with AI and specifically ChatGPT, I realized that it is actually doing what your mind is supposed to do. Which is to research, analyse, conclude and articulate a point of view!

AND, it is entirely created from matter. AI is like a robot brain, made up of physical parts that follow the laws of physics, using purely physical components and algorithms. Yet, it can do many of the things we thought only the human mind could do.

The fact that AI systems are made of matter and operate according to physical laws is compelling evidence that the mind is indeed a product of matter.

So, what does all this mean? Well, for starters, we can study it like any other part of the body, with science and technology leading the way. And as Vedanta philosophy says, the mind is just another part of the physical world, like the air we breathe and the ground we walk on. So, the next time you see an AI robot, give it a high-five and thank it for helping us understand our own minds a little better. And remember, whether you're a human or an AI, we're all made up of the same stuff, and that's a pretty cool connection to ponder.

But jokes apart, it sure builds a case for what Adi Shankaracharya says, “mano buddhi ahankara chittani naaham, na cha shrotravjihve na cha ghraana netre, na cha vyoma bhumir na tejo na vaayuhu, chidananda rupah shivo'ham shivo'ham “

I am not the mind, the intellect, the ego or the memory, I am not the five senses, I am not space, not earth, not fire, water or wind, I am the form of consciousness and bliss, I am the eternal Shiva...

Oh! And the illustration is, of course, made using AI! 

To dive deeper into our proprietary process, Designomics, visit our website: https://www.vgc.in/

 

Preeti Vyas: Guest of Honour at Vijaybhoomi University

Looking back at an exciting weekend at Vijaybhoomi University where our founder, Preeti Vyas shared a glimpse into the rapidly evolving world and how it's the "most exciting as well as challenging times in history of the planet."

Read the entire speech below-

First of all, thank you Sanjay for having me here today. I am honoured to be here on Founders day, sharing the stage with dignitaries and of course, meeting all of you. By the way, I am here not just as a speaker today, but also as your neighbour. I have a farm just a few minutes away and this also gives me the opportunity to invite you all over for chai when I come here from Mumbai, which is almost every weekend. 

 

But coming back to the event of the day. I want to say that as students, these are exciting times.

 

Looking back, when I was your age, I had just started as a student of the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. And THAT was an amazing time for all of us there. A beautiful campus and an evolved curriculum which not just put us in touch with our Indian design roots, but also exposed us to immense possibilities through exposure of what was the best in the world. It infused us with a sense of purpose and a comprehension of the power of Design and how it could benefit the lives of people in a new post-Independence India. There was an awakening amongst the young Designers of being change agents and the roles and responsibilities that it would entail. It was indeed, a thrilling time. 

 

And here you are today, students in the most amazing and perhaps the most exciting as well as challenging times in the history of the planet. We have seen the incredible disruption, or perhaps I should say creative disruption brought about by Covid and all its variants. It has forced change upon us unlike any other event in recent history. It has created new socio - economic structures, new life style patterns, new value systems, new learning opportunities and so on. And this churn isn’t over yet. We have seen only the beginning of what could be a world of new and visionary opportunities.

 

And now, we are entering into a whole new digital paradigm; into the Metaverse and it will be you, who will invent, create pathbreaking ideas and seize amazing opportunities as you navigate towards an incredibly exciting horizon that you will be the architects of. 

 

In the last ten years, we’ve seen traditional banking go online, and online banking further evolve, with crypto currency now entering the financial stage. We are seeing artists starting to cash in on the digital revolution, with NFTs becoming new streams of revenue & recognition. We’ve seen big companies dismiss, then slowly embrace the power of design thinking, using tools from the designer’s toolkit to solve complex business problems. And, through the pandemic, we’ve seen a plethora of entrepreneurs and the birth of unicorns seizing opportunities through innovations in technology, healthcare, transportation, sustainability and more…

 

Who would have thought that a vaccine for a pandemic could have been developed and delivered in just over a year, when before Covid, this process has generally taken close to a decade. We are fast forwarding across all traditional timelines. And the future is here and now. The future is online and offline. The future is both in the metaverse and in the real world. It’s up to you to make the most of it, to make the most of the access to information & knowledge that you will gain here. 

 

As students of this University, think of the immense new business ideas which would have never found a place before in the world.

 

As lawyers, you will be at the forefront of new legal scenarios you have never yet visualized.

 

As Designers, the world of design and design thinking just got enlarged to include new ways of living, communicating and consuming.

 

As musicians, you will create, invent and engineer new instruments, and music for a generation hungry for new sounds. 

 

As data scientists, you will see & decipher patterns in numbers, and help influence, innovate and inform.

 

More importantly, as young leaders, you will inspire the next generation to follow their passions and chase their dreams, leading by example. The future is in your hands and it’s up to you to shape it.

 

I envy you for being at the epicentre of a new renaissance that all of you have the potential to create. And I wish you all the best.

VGC turns 20! Come celebrate with us

Preeti Vyas features in Impact's 8th Anniversary issue

Preeti Vyas, Chairwoman, VGC, was recently featured in Impact Magazine's 8th Anniversary Issue. Here's what she had to say.
“Through my years of being a creative professional and later the head of an organization, I have found that there is

 only one sure shot way of success for me – be it a strategic thought, a creative idea, or a presentation. It only works for my clients if it as already worked for me. I have found that the barometer for a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ idea is only within me. I have instinctively devised a ‘yogic’ method of reaching within, becoming deaf to any external nagging voices and dwelling on a creative thought one-on-one with myself. If I come away with a moment of deep joy, then I will back that thought with utter conviction. And almost always, the client too goes for it. And on the few occasions when I have let someone else’s influence overtake this process, then that idea has almost always bounced.
As I think about it a bit more, that is the DNA of my design firm VGC too. We work really hard to reach that ‘Aha’ moment, whether it is an idea or an execution. Also, in a larger sense, and pardon me if I am being a bit philosophical and perhaps even spiritual, isn’t the reason we all choose a creative field to achieve that inner moment of truth for ourselves?”
-Preeti Vyas

Preeti Vyas Curates and Presents Designomics, a series on Logo for Bloomberg UTV

Designomics is a series on Logo for Bloomberg UTV, which I will curate and present from the vantage point of Indian businesses that have understood Design and its various disciplines as a vital business tool and integrated it in their growth stories.

The Design Industry is fast graduating from a boutique cottage Industry to a strategic and savvy activity, aiming to create a robust ROI for businesses through what I call, Designomics.

The Universe of Design specializations is growing vastly. It ranges from Branding to packaging, to Digital, to Furniture, Automobile, environmental and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Design as a profession is increasingly emerging out of being the afterthought, only to be brought in at the end for cosmetic beautification to being integrated into the very inception of the business process.

This is because enlightened companies have realized that strategic Design has the power to partner them in their growth and profitability.
Of course, there are innumerable international case studies, which show the success of integrating Design across key business interfaces.
But what is truly heartening is that within India too there are many illustrations of how businesses have prospered by using intelligent design in a rapidly crowded and complex marketplace.

The sheer volume of products and services operating in a single domain has risen rapidly and exponentially. As has new categories of businesses. Added to that, India has embraced scale almost overnight. Take retail for example; it went from the local Kirana to the Mall model almost overnight. Business ambitions are no longer shy. Thinking big and thinking Global is the mantra of all Indian businesses.

Against this backdrop, Designomics will bring to you vibrant stories of how diversified conglomerates, Business to business, or consumer facing companies, have added value through Design by integrating different Design specializations into key stages of their business ecology. We will track companies like Mahindra and Mahindra, Titan, and Godrej in the coming segments and see how they have practiced Designomics.

Here is a quick glimpse of what’s coming up next week. You know him as the Chairman of a large Indian multinational. Now meet Kumar Mangalam Birla as an early believer in strategic Brand Design who united a diversified conglomerate under the umbrella of a single power brand

So whether you represent a business, or are an entrepreneur, or of course are a Designer, come watch Designomics and see how you can profit from Design.

- Preeti Vyas

you can have look at the Curtain Raiser which premiered on Bloomberg UTV. here is the link to that. >>
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx2NBvqycdo

Cheers!

VGC ranked amongst India's Greatest Brand Builders by CMO Asia

Recognition is always good to have, but this one is rather special and we are happy to share with you that CMO Asia ranks VGC’s Preeti Vyas amongst India’s Greatest Brand Builders, in its third and latest edition. This book has been conceived, researched and documented by Dr. R L Bhatia, a familiar figure in the knowledge space of the world of branding. The recognition is for the entire team who has always wanted to push the envelope further and certainly for all our clients who have seen and acknowledged the strategic and qualitative benchmarks we have always delivered.

Cheers! :)

VGC Annual Awards..!!

This years ceremony took place on a warm barmy barbeque evening at a downtown haunt in Worli. The salubrious venue near the seaface on the opposite side of the Arabian Sea was selected for this gala event.

Most notable VGC staff and local celebs were present. Some looking cool, others not so, some there to network but most anticipating an award of somekind therefore came dressed for auditions for Saturday Night Fever.

The atmosphere was tension filled with anticipation. People showed great patience sitting around waiting for the proceedings to commence. But some nerves did get frayed so they hit the bottle and helped themselves pushing the barmen out of their way. It was every man, women and dog for himself.

After filling their glasses, they all calmed down.. Then it was the mens turn to get some drinks. Some seemed to have had a barrel full even before the first award was announced. 3 guesses are not needed, but here is a clue, look into my eyes, I am fit to drive!

The dessert was dead good and left a smile on most diners faces!

On with the awards ceremony. The comperes for the evening were Devi and Gary assisted by Kanti.

Here some of the highlights

RAJU: Best floor painter humbly accepted

KESHAW: Best kept mustache Keshaw, the comb is for the tache, not to shove in and rake your ear out!

RUMEENA: Most talkative does a little Ali shuffle in accepting her award.

SHANKER: Managed to walk in a straight line to collect Fastest Driver

SACHIN: Munched the Biscuit Eater Award

DEVI: won What does Devi need? We are still trying to work that on out!

GARY: collected, If it fits, wear it!

There was a minor contra-temp when a delegate who hadnt won an award mis-behaved. The judges must have penalised him for making a beeline for the chicken kebabs! A court injunction means his name and identity can not be revealed to the public but the 4-legged furry thing from the Reception department took his protest onto the stage. He had to be escorted off by the security staff. LUCKily, he didnt put up much of a fight though some were aghast at him loosing his cool.

Whilst the awards were taking place, our resident Snapper of the Year winner was busy clicking away to show the true spirit (as well as the vodka) of the occasion which put most delegated in a 'good mood'.