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artifact:shanahan-et-al-2025-the-xeno-sutra-can-meaning-and-value-be-ascribed-to-an-ai-generated-sacred-textShanahan et al. 2025 'The Xeno Sutra: Can Meaning and Value be Ascribed to an AI-Generated “Sacred” Text?'
The primary paper under study; presents a case study of an AI-generated Buddhist sutra and philosophical analysis.
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Thinkers (8)
thinker
- Murray Shanahanauthored
- NāgārjunacitesFounder of Madhyamaka philosophy; central to the paper's interpretation of the Xeno Sutra.
- Ludwig WittgensteincitesCited via A.I. Melden for rule-governed action; rule-following view critiqued.
- Robert Thurmanauthored
- Lin-chicites9th century CE Zen master; fictional LLM-generated commentary appears in the paper.
- Tara Dasauthored
- Huang Pocites9th century CE Zen master; fictional commentary generated by the LLM is included in the paper.
- Jacques DerridacitesPhilosopher whose deconstruction is compared to Nāgārjuna's method and the Xeno Sutra.
Frameworks (3)
framework
- Nāgārjuna's philosophical system emphasizing emptiness; central interpretative lens in the paper.
- Zen BuddhismmentionsSchool of Buddhism known for koans and paradoxical teachings; invoked through Huang Po and Lin-chi.
- Framework describing LLMs as role-play engines, introduced in Shanahan, McDonell, Reynolds 2023.
Artifacts (20)
artifact
- Paper on conscious exotica; referenced in the conversation prologue.
- Paper introducing the role-play model of LLMs; cited in §3.1.
- Translation of the Mumonkan; cited in §5.2.4.
- Translation of Huang Po's teachings; cited in §5.5.
- Seminal work on the hard problem of consciousness; cited in §5.2.3.
- Book on LLMs; cited for similar point on authorial privilege in §2.
- Referenced for the Pyrrhonian interpretation of Wittgenstein; cited in §5.2.1.
- Translation of the Tathāgataguhya Sutra; cited for Buddha's speech qualities in §6.2.
- Book introducing 'primal confusion'; cited in §5.2.
- LessWrong post framing LLMs as simulators; cited for role-play perspective.
- Book on cultural devastation and meaning; referenced in concluding thoughts.
- Comparison of Nāgārjuna and Derrida; cited in §5.2.1.
- Classic paper on subjective experience; cited in §5.2.3.
- Translation and commentary on the Heart Sutra; cited in §5.2.4.
- Work by co-author Robert Thurman on Madhyamaka; referenced in §5.2.
- Full conversation that produced the Xeno Sutra, available at the provided URL.
- Source on terma tradition; cited in §2.
- Translation of Lin-chi's teachings; cited in §5.5.
- Paper on chain-of-thought; cited in §3.1.
- Quoted on composite authorship of sutras; cited in §2.
Concepts (5)
concept
- Śūnyatā (emptiness)mentionsCentral Buddhist concept: the lack of intrinsic reality in all things; evoked throughout the Xeno Sutra.
- Dependent originationmentionsBuddhist doctrine of conditionality; its careful attention makes tanha-like building blocks likely to have simple neural implementations.
- Doctrine that distinguishes conventional linguistic reality from ultimate ineffable reality; key to interpreting the Xeno Sutra.
- KōanmentionsParadoxical statement or question used in Zen to transcend conceptual thinking; the Xeno Sutra incorporates a koan.
- Terma (revealed treasures)mentionsBuddhist tradition of hidden teachings discovered later; used to illustrate canonical open-endedness.