Franz_

Can AI Help Build a Strong Theoretical Foundation Faster?

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I remember Leo emphasizing the importance of building a strong theoretical foundation for self-actualization, enlightenment, and understanding reality. That really stuck with me.

My question is:

Can using AI (like ChatGPT or other tools) accelerate this process significantly — maybe even 10x your learning speed?

or is it more harmful than useful? whats your thought on this?

Can AI help me understand complex metaphysical concepts faster?

Can it help me organize my research better or point me to high-quality sources?

Or does relying on it too much risk weakening my own contemplation or critical thinking muscles?

I’d love to hear how (or if) any of you are using AI in your spiritual/philosophical research and whether it's been helpful — or maybe even harmful.

Thanks in advance 🙏
— Franz_

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There are a couple positive use cases for boosting your understanding, but overall I think any claims like “It will 10x your learning” are completely overblown.

One way to use it productively is as a sparring partner for debating a certain topic. Letting it come up with counter-examples, prompts for you to think about etc. But even then, I think the upside is limited compared to contemplating a question on your own. 

Another function that is really useful is DeepSearch. You can give really specific prompts about topics, it may otherwise be difficult to find quality information on. You can let it create in-depth guides 10+ pages long.

But, I must say, there has never been an AI output so far that really changed my perspective or impacted my life meaningfully like has happened through some excellent books I’ve read. I don’t know if that is due to my expectations to it or a different reason. So I think even when you use it responsibly, the potential for it to significantly boost your building of your theoretical foundation is quite limited. 

All that being said, I do often use AI to help me understand some concept that I struggle with and it’s quite good for that. But the main purpose always has to be for it to serve my understanding. And the problem is, it’s quite easy to slip into accepting whatever output comes out as valid and not thinking critically about it anymore, which will definitely decay your mind. 

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Just as long as AI isn't the only resource you use, it can be a good source of discussion. Chatgpt at least has a bias towards agreeableness and saying whatever floats your boat so to speak, even if it isn't factual. AI is hallucinatory overall, but it can be really good at wording things and presenting a point of view you haven't even considered.

You still want to be reading books, long-form articles, etc. And making up your own mind. Having answers spoonfed won't make you wiser. You need to be curious and contemplate how reality works with the information you learned. Interconnect your understanding.

 

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If I had AI when I was 20, I think I could be maybe 2-4x more intelligent than I am now. The speed at which I can flesh out insights is much faster when using AI.There are tons of things you don’t even consider, which AI can reveal.

Also, intelligence in cumulative. It snowballs. The unlocking of one insight paves the way for the next. I’ve fleshed out many deep insights with AI, but it doesn’t direct my thinking. I plug my thinking into it and tell it to help me get clarity on my ideas. That is priceless. Like having access to a genius coach 24/7. 

Edited by Joshe

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