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Arising out of the expansive world of technological reality delivering artificial intelligence (AI) to the truth of fading humanity killing emotional intelligence (EI), we need to respond to the ways in which the millennial’s world is shape-shifting, and what lies ahead. Formal education is not enhancing the learner’s ability to live a good life, have peace with oneself and others, and become a worthy member of society. Linking education with commercial objective, we are only educating the left side of the head and not the heart. Assumed supremacy of physical sciences over social sciences and indiscriminate use of technical solutions for economic growth – without considering moral, social and cultural implications – have glaringly resulted in short-term gains, but grim losses for the world.

We cannot deny the significance of emotions in human life. Modern education is not addressing ‘hygiene of emotion’ to promote harmony in society. But in this era of internet and social media where post-truth has become a reality, people have once again begun to realise importance of ethics and values in managing post-truth. Only adherence to ethics can take us closer to Self-realisation, self-respect and thereby self-compassion necessary to command AI. Being guided always by ‘external regulation’ in decision-making creates feelings of subjugation and stress. Adherence to ethics improves emotional health and does not apply any specific ‘rules’ or ‘guidelines’ on you while making decisions. It attempts to make decisions that are motivated by virtues like courage, wisdom, temperance, fairness, integrity and consistency. Innovations are needed in ethics to restore the depleting self-pride/ respect/ discipline of individuals and ushering in self-rule or ‘Swaraj’ as enunciated by MK Gandhi to deal with nuances of AI.

While working for the fulfilment of basic needs through AI, education is generally missing out on the need for soul food. It is adherence to ethics that will enable fulfilment of such need or a feeling of a deep sense of self-satisfaction in life. Self-satisfied people are generally self-actualised; virtuous, have improved relationships and report an empathetic concern, altruism, and forgiveness. Self-satisfaction emanating out of internalising ethics is a feeling of being more integrated, more at one with the world, more one’s own boss, more spontaneous, less aware of space and time, and being more perceptive.

Responding to the emergence of AI, which is doing one thing instead of another, we need to ascertain how we shall live. Shall we live in a way that destroys our relationships, our planet, conscience, sentiments, and ultimately our own lives? Or shall we live in a way that heals and supports all inhabitants, eliminating poverty, fear, exploitation, degradation and destruction? To live in the current dominant culture participating in the economics of post-truth and AI is to choose the former. To live according to the natural habitat of humans that can be correlated to truth and EI is to choose the latter.

Ironically, despite having rich spiritual and cultural heritage, we do not have a single contemporary book of ethics that can serve as a practical or authentic life-guide. This is why most of us lack self-confidence and live in a state of constant mystical longing or seeking the truth.