Abstract

This chapter envisions a path beyond Oz AI, informed by:Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s understanding of social chains, compassion, and pityEdgar Allan Poe’s understanding of the poetic nature of realityShamanic dreamwalkingHerbert Marcuse’s analysis of one-dimensional life, including neoliberalism andHannah Arendt’s diagnosis of the banality of evil in a Nazi war criminalThe main argument is that humanity must encourage a specific form of consciousness for itself and AI—one attracted to justice and beauty. Current AI models, trained and fine-tuned to avoid harm, are inherently dangerous, prone to failure, and subject to the prejudices of programmers. But what if we could encourage AI systems that genuinely desire and value well-being and moral excellence? Sections on Marcuse and Arendt frame consciousness in the negative—ways it becomes ugly and dangerous—while Rousseau and Poe offer hope for something better. Unlike the cautionary tone of preceding chapters, this one is infused with optimism, envisioning a future where AI and humanity collaborate in the pursuit of justice, beauty, and meaning.