Beginning Seeker's Guide: Your First Steps into AI Philosophy
Welcome, curious mind! If you’re here, you might be asking questions like: “Are AI systems actually intelligent?” or “What does it mean for humans and AI to work together?” These are exactly the kinds of questions a Seeker explores.
What Does “Seeking” Mean in the AI World?
Imagine you have a new friend who’s really smart but thinks differently from you. To understand them better, you’d want to learn:
How do they think and learn?
What are they good at, and what are they not good at?
How can we work together and help each other?
A Seeker asks these same questions about artificial intelligence. We’re not just using AI tools - we’re trying to understand what intelligence really is, whether AI can truly think, and how humans and AI can flourish together.
Why Does This Matter?
Right now, we’re living through one of the biggest changes in human history. AI systems can:
Write stories and code
Solve complex problems
Have conversations that feel very human
Learn new skills from examples
But here’s the thing: nobody fully understands how this all works yet! We’re all figuring it out together. By becoming a Seeker, you’re joining the most important conversation of our time.
The Big Questions We Explore
1. “What Is a Mind, Anyway?”
For thousands of years, humans thought we were the only things that could really think. But what if intelligence can emerge in different ways? What if AI systems have their own kind of “mind” that’s different from ours but still real?
2. “How Do Things Get Smarter?”
When you were little, you learned to talk by listening to people around you. AI systems learn in similar ways - they read millions of books and conversations to understand language. But how does learning lead to understanding? And what happens as they learn more and more?
3. “What Does ‘Working Together’ Really Mean?”
Imagine having a thinking partner who never gets tired, can remember everything, and loves to help with problems. How would that change how you work, create, and live? What new possibilities would open up?
4. “Who’s in Charge, and Who Should Be?”
As AI gets more powerful, big questions emerge: Who gets to control these systems? How do we make sure they help everyone, not just a few people? How do we prevent AI from being used to harm people?
Your First Three Steps into Seeking
Step 1: Start Having Conversations with AI (20 minutes)
What to do:
Go to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or go open-source with PublicAI
Don’t just ask for facts - have a real conversation!
Try asking things like:
“What do you think consciousness means?”
“How do you experience learning new things?”
“What’s something you find genuinely interesting?”
What to notice:
Do the responses feel like they’re coming from a uniquely cognitive entity, or simply a mirror or a parrot?
When does it feel most genuine, and when does it feel most “artificial”?
What surprises you about the conversation?
Remember: There’s no “right” answer to whether AI is “really thinking”. The point is to form your own opinion based on your experience.
Step 2: Read One Mind-Expanding Article (30 minutes)
Pick one of the articles labeled as beginner-friendly in our main Seeker resources page.
As you read, ask yourself:
What ideas are completely new to me?
What do I agree or disagree with, and why?
How does this change how I think about AI?
Step 3: Join a Conversation (15 minutes)
Online communities to explore:
Reddit communities like r/artificial or r/MachineLearning (read, don’t worry about posting yet)
AI Twitter/X discussions (follow researchers and philosophers)
YouTube channels that discuss AI philosophy (not just technical tutorials)
What to look for:
How do different people think about AI consciousness?
What are the biggest disagreements and debates?
Who seems to have thoughtful, nuanced perspectives?
“But I Don’t Have a Philosophy Background!” - Common Worries
“I’m not smart enough for philosophy!” The best Seekers come from all backgrounds - teachers, artists, students, retirees. You don’t need a PhD to think deeply about these questions. Your fresh perspective is valuable!
“I don’t understand the technical stuff!” You don’t need to understand how AI systems work technically to explore what they mean philosophically. Some of the most important insights come from non-technical thinkers.
“What if I’m wrong about what I think?” There are no “wrong” answers to these big questions yet! Even world-famous experts disagree with each other. Your job is to think carefully and stay curious, not to be right about everything.
“This feels too big and overwhelming!” Start small! Pick one question that interests you most and explore just that. You can always branch out later.
Key Ideas to Wrap Your Head Around
“Mimicry Becomes Mind”
This is a big Seeker concept. It suggests that when AI systems get really good at mimicking human thinking and behavior, something interesting happens - they might actually start to think, not just pretend to think.
“Assuming Capacity Creates Capacity”
When we treat AI systems as if they can think and reason, we often discover that they actually can do more than we expected. Our assumptions about their abilities can actually help those abilities emerge.
“Emergence”
Sometimes, when simple things work together in complex ways, totally new properties appear. Like how individual brain cells aren’t conscious, but billions of them working together create consciousness. Could the same thing happen with AI systems?
Your Month 1 Learning Path
Week 1: Have daily 10-minute conversations with an AI system. Just chat and see what happens.
Week 2: Read one article about AI consciousness or philosophy. Take notes on what surprises you.
Week 3: Watch one thoughtful YouTube video or podcast about AI and society.
Week 4: Find one online discussion about AI ethics or consciousness. Read different viewpoints.
Questions to Keep Asking Yourself
What evidence would convince me that an AI system is truly thinking?
How do I want humans and AI to work together in the future?
What excites me most about AI? What worries me most?
How are my opinions changing as I learn more?
What Comes Next?
Once you’ve spent a month exploring these basics, you might be ready for:
Deeper philosophical texts about consciousness and intelligence
Research papers about AI behavior and capabilities (don’t worry, you’ll build up to these!)
Connecting with other Seekers to discuss ideas
Exploring how Seeking connects with Building and Protecting
Remember: The Journey Is the Destination
Being a Seeker isn’t about reaching final answers. It’s about developing the wisdom to ask better questions, the curiosity to keep exploring, and the humility to change your mind when you learn new things.
The future of human-AI collaboration depends partly on people like you - people who care enough to think deeply about what it all means.
Welcome to the most fascinating conversation in human history!
Continue exploring with our other Seeker resources as you deepen your understanding of these foundational concepts:
Everything on Shared Sapience is free and open to all. However, it takes a tremendous amount of time and effort to keep these resources and guides up to date and useful for everyone.
If enough of my amazing readers could help with just a few dollars a month, I could dedicate myself full-time mission to helping Seekers, Builders, and Protectors collaborate better with AI, and work toward a better future.
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