Angulimala in Our Algorithmic World

Author:

Rupa Singh - Founder & CEO of AI-Beehive

Author of "AI Ethics With a Buddhist Perspective" and "Operationalizing AI Ethics: From Principles to Practices"

Expert at Global AI Ethics Institute

TEDx Speaker

Top 20 Global AI Ethics Leaders

A Buddhist Perspective

Once upon a time, in the lush forests of ancient India, there lived a fearsome bandit named Angulimala. His name struck terror into the hearts of all who heard it. Angulimala was notorious for his cruelty and his proclivity for wearing a necklace made from the fingers of his victims.

One day, as Angulimala was relaxing on a rugged rock, relishing his fearsome reputation, he spotted a serene monk approaching in the distance. Angulimala enjoyed scaring people, so he wanted to show the monk how powerful he was. However, to his surprise, the monk-who was none other than Gautama Buddha himself-continued to approach with a tranquil smile on his face. Intrigued by the monk’s calmness in the face of danger, Angulimala descended from his rocky perch and stood before the Buddha, brandishing his fearsome mala of fingers.

“Who are you?” he demanded, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and menace.

“Do you know who I am?”

Angulimala shouted out to the Buddha, “Stop, contemplative, Stop!”

Buddha replied, “I have stopped, Angulimala, “You stop.”

Image Credit: buddhauniverse.blogspot.com

The Buddha: “I have stopped, Angulimala, once & for all, having cast off violence toward all living beings. You, though, are unrestrained toward beings. That’s how I’ve stopped and you haven’t.”

Angulimala: “At long last a greatly revered great seer for my sake has come to the great forest. Having heard your verse in line with the Dhamma, I will go about having abandoned evil. So saying, the bandit hurled his sword & weapons over a cliff into a chasm, a pit. Then the bandit paid homage to the feet of the One Well-gone, and right there requested the Going-forth. The Awakened One, the compassionate great seer, the teacher of the world, along with its devas, said to him then: “Come, bhikkhu.”

Image Credit: www.jendhamuni.com

The Buddha’s gentle yet profound lesson serves as a catalyst for Angulimala’s spiritual awakening. Angulimala, having gone alone into seclusion, experienced the bliss of release.

At that time, he exclaimed: "Who once was heedless, but later is not, brightens the worldlike the moon set free from a cloud. A bandit used to be renowned as Angulimala. Swept along by a great flood, I went to the Buddha as refuge."

Beyond the Binary: Angulimala’s Journey in an Algorithmic World

Here, we are about to explore a narrative that challenges the boundaries of our algorithm-driven world.

In a world governed by algorithms and decisions based on past data and actions, Angulimala’s path to redemption would face significant obstacles: our past actions dictate our future opportunities, and algorithms determine our job prospects, financial standing, and even access to healthcare.

Angulimala, once a feared bandit, now seeks to leave behind his life of violence and embark on a path of transformation. But in a society where algorithms dictate who gets a second chance and who remains condemned by their past, can Angulimala break free from the chains of his history?

Algorithms determine who gets hired and who gets left behind and Angulimala’s criminal history would be a barrier to his rehabilitation. Despite his genuine desire to turn his life around, hiring algorithms view his past actions as predictive indicators of future behavior, leading to his exclusion from job opportunities and perpetuating a cycle of marginalization and despair.

Shadows of the Past: Angulimala’s Battle Against Recidivism Scores

A recidivism scoring system, designed to predict the likelihood of reoffending based on past criminal behavior, would cast a shadow of doubt over Angulimala’s ability to lead a life free from crime. Despite his genuine desire for transformation, he would be labeled as high-risk and subjected to heightened surveillance and restrictions, making it even more challenging for him to reintegrate into society.

Moreover, in a healthcare system guided by algorithms that assess risk and prioritize care based on various factors, Angulimala might find himself denied essential medical services or faced with limited treatment options. His past actions could lead to stigmatization and discrimination within the healthcare system, exacerbating his physical and mental health challenges and impeding his journey towards healing and redemption.

Despite his genuine desire for transformation, Angulimala would find himself trapped in a web of suspicion and doubt. Every step he took would be scrutinized, every action monitored. Denied opportunities for employment, housing, and even basic freedoms, he would be pushed to the margins, isolated and alone.

The weight of his past crimes would be insurmountable, casting doubt upon his ability to lead a life free from crime.

Free Will in an Algorithmic World

In an algorithmic world, Angulimala’s path to redemption would be fraught with obstacles, as automated systems perpetuate bias and discrimination based on past actions. However, his story serves as a powerful reminder of the limitations of algorithms in capturing the complexity of human experience, and of the potential for compassion, forgiveness, and transformation to transcend the constraints of predictive analytics. It prompts us to critically examine the role of algorithms in shaping societal norms and institutions, and to advocate for policies and practices that prioritize equity, justice, and the inherent dignity of every individual, regardless of their past.

Buddhist Perspective: Our Common Humanity

As our world has become more interconnected and globalized, it is now commonplace for people with dissimilar worldviews, languages, food choices, cultures, religions, ethnicities, opinions, and beliefs to live in close proximity.

It is extremely crucial to develop a genuine universal approach to ethics and to have a clear understanding that what unites the 7.8 billion of us is our “common humanity.”

All sentient beings, whether human or animal, seek to avoid pain and suffering and are naturally inclined toward compassion and love. The extraordinary achievements and innovations in science and technology also stem from humanity’s quest for happiness and avoidance of suffering.

Despite all our individual characteristics-education, achievements, religion, social ranking, nationality, language, race, gender-which differentiate us, we all seek to find happiness and avoid suffering in this temporary life of ours. The Buddhist Noble Truths of “Right Effort” and “Right View” can also be considered when creating powerful technologies for the common good, taking an approach based on an identity rooted in the phrase “we, human beings,” and moving beyond narrow self-interest.

Biography of the Guest Expert

Rupa Singh is the Founder and CEO of AI-Beehive, and a globally recognized authority in artificial intelligence ethics. Ranked among the Top 20 Global AI Ethics Leaders, she is a leading voice shaping the future of responsible AI. She is the host of the Podcast ‘Beyond Binary’ and the author of two transformative books, "AI Ethics with a Buddhist Perspective" and "Operationalizing AI Ethics: From Principles to Practices", which offer actionable frameworks for building responsible AI systems.

With a bold background in AI Engineering, Rupa serves in advisory boards for international organizations and is a member of the Scientific Association of AI Ethicists, led by Yale Digital Ethics Director Luciano Floridi. She has also contributed to global initiatives like the FAIR Festival of AI and Robotics (Australia), and Tamkine International Talks (Morocco), sharing her vision for ethical AI that upholds human dignity.

As an Advisor in boards of esteemed institutions such as the Dakhla International Education Forum and the Festival of Al and Robotics (FAIR) in Melbourne, she contributes to raise awareness and education. Over the years, she has been dedicated to educating the next generation, contributing 20,000+ training hours and empowering 10,000+ students across Data Science, Machine Learning, Business Analytics, and Al Ethics.

Rupa is TEDx Speaker and has spoken at 150+ national and international platforms, including prestigious forums such as the Annual AI Ethics Forum at BRICS (Russia), the Fourth Edition of the Digital Society Forum (Morocco), Columbia University (USA), and Dell Technologies’ Experience Design Summit.

Rupa is a leader in AI-driven innovation and design thinking, dedicated to empowering over 1 million individuals worldwide to navigate the complexities of AI with ethical responsibility. Her mission is to ensure AI technologies not only advance innovation but also contribute meaningfully to humanity.