How can we design technology in the way that is of most benefit to humanity in the long-term? Especially in terms of human agency? What to make of Artificial Intelligence? What is the nature of the human mind and can machines think in the same way? What criteria might be appropriate to evaluate AI? Where should we look for wise guidance?

Buddhism and Computing: How to Flourish in the Age of Algorithms, published by Mud Pie Books (2021), marks the culmination of investigations spanning more than a decade, focused on these kinds of questions. It encapsulates many of the ideas explored on this site. The enquiries have been primarily from the perspective of Buddhist ethics, but are substantially interdisciplinary, brought together in a way that I hope will foster much-needed dialogue involving everyone.

I very much welcome feedback – comments, reviews, emails, etc. Please spread the word!

Table of Contents

Chapters

Prologue

1. Numbers and Computation
2. Buddhist Ethics
3. Computers and Intelligence
4. Modelling Mind and Processes
5. Designing Sustainable Social Networks
6. Ensuring Online Safety
7. Are We Here Yet?

Epilogue
Notes
Acknowledgements
About the Author

Introductory Articles

I’m pleased to have shared a taste of the book in an introductory piece in the Daily Alternative, in which I try to bring attention to essential needs and from that basis assess technology. I’m also grateful for the publication of an article, Designing Software for the Present Moment, inspired by the late Ninian Smart, which seeks to broaden engagement. This appeared in Inter-religious Insight, the journal of the World Congress of Faiths, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 65–67, 2021

Formally, I have given a nod to lifelong learning by undertaking a postgraduate degree as a mature student, though these days I am largely an autodidact. I also try not to neglect physical health — what the Romans referred to as mens sana in sano corpore (sound mind in a sound body) — as I enjoy rambles in the Oxfordshire countryside, where many of my ideas surface. Spiritually, I’ve been trained to know that one’s mind is the book.

My main subject areas have been mathematics, computer science and religious studies, whilst maintaining an interest in any academic field that can address important problems in life.

• A mixture of ‘O’ levels and ‘A’ levels (Maths, Further Maths, Latin and General Studies) from King Edward’s School, Birmingham, which was probably the most formative period in my formal education.
• B.Sc. Mathematics, 1990, Southampton University. A straight honours degree in pure and applied maths, having transferred from Maths with Actuarial Studies after the first year
• M.Sc. Mathematics (Number Theory), Norms of Ideals in direct sums of number fields and applications to the circulants problem of Olga Taussky-Todd, 1992, Glasgow University. Supervisor: the late Prof Robert Odoni, who was truly a dedicated mathematician. Download: Glasgow theses repository
• Ph.D. Computer Science, The use of Formal Methods for Safety-critical systems, 1997, Kingston University. Supervisor: Dr Kate Norrie. Download: British Library’s Electronic Thesis Online Service.
• M.St. Study of Religion[s], 2009, Oxford University (St Cross). Course co-ordinator: Dr. Sondra Hausner. For the course I submitted several essays and one dissertation:
  • Essay: Religion and Healing: Miracles and the Shrine of St. Frideswide in the late Twelfth Century
  • Essay: Visions Within: Spiritual Development and the Evolution of Imagery in Teresa of Àvila’sThe Interior Castle
  • Essay: The Catholic Church and Inter-religious Marriages: Reflections on Pastoral Theology and Practice after Vatican II
  • Dissertation: Avoiding pamāda: An analysis of the Fifth Precept as Social Protection in Contemporary Contexts with reference to the early Buddhist teachings    

I have also studied aspects of the following:

• Languages:
  • Pali: completed a 10-day Pali Summer School in summer 2008, delivered by Prof. Richard Gombrich for the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies.
  • Thai: I use various tools to support my rudimentary knowledge (being half-Thai) to translate Thai texts.

Among the various certificates from IT short courses, I have ITIL Foundation v.3 certification.