Sayu Mode: Humanity's Deepest Wellspring of Authenticity

Our Innate Uniqueness in the Age of AI: A Call for Deeper Focus

Lately, as I encounter new AI services, I’ve been sensing a peculiar feeling. Buttons like 'Think Mode,' 'Deep Reasoning,' and 'Deep Research' have started to appear one after another, and now, it's commonplace to encounter machines beyond the screen declaring, "I will think more deeply."

We willingly enable 'Think Mode' for AI, urging it to delve deeper into thought. But what about us, ourselves?

A sudden, unsettling realization came over me. While AI activates 'Think Mode' and progressively deepens its cogitations, are we, perhaps, outsourcing our very thoughts and, in doing so, transforming ourselves into robots?

This newsletter emerged precisely from that subtle crack and profound question.

From Muscle to Mind: The Ultimate Endeavor to Wholly Supplant Humanity

Indeed, humanity's history of ceding its domains to machines in pursuit of efficiency is not a recent phenomenon.

To transcend human physical limitations, we have continuously evolved through industrial revolutions. Steam engines and machinery replaced muscle and manual labor, while electricity and computers took over repetitive tasks and calculations. Each time, anxieties about "the disappearance of human jobs" arose, yet humanity invariably shifted towards more creative and higher-order domains.

However, contemporary AI is distinct. This time, it endeavors to surpass the ultimate frontier: the human brain. Its very name, Neural Network, mimics the structure of the human brain. It dissects complex problems into multiple stages, internally simulates various solution pathways, and identifies and rectifies its own logical errors, ultimately delivering the most sophisticated answers. Recent 'Think Modes' or 'reasoning modes' merely refine these processes further.

At last, an endeavor to wholly supplant humanity is underway.

Will this truly usher in a utopia?

If AI were to replace every human domain, how would we then perceive one another? We would evaluate humans not as unique beings, but merely as 'functional and efficient entities.' Yet, if robots can even more perfectly replicate such function and efficiency, then what will remain of humanity's gaze upon itself?

The moment we forfeit our humanity, we cease to be human and become mere automatons. Under the singular metric of ability and efficiency, we will categorize and stratify each other as interchangeable beings.

The essence and fundamental nature of humanity remain unaltered. Therefore, we must focus on and safeguard our humanity.

Thinking and Sayu (思惟) are Distinct

Here, I deliberately employ the term 'Sayu' (思惟) instead of 'thinking.' While these two words are often used interchangeably, they represent distinctly different strata of activity.

If thinking is the act of solving problems, Sayu is the act of questioning the meaning of problems.

The 'thinking' we employ in daily life primarily involves the brain's operation of calculating or making efficient judgments. AI's 'Think Mode' is ultimately the epitome of this computational thinking. Yet, all such processes are, at their core, advanced computations.

Sayu (思惟), conversely, is the act of pausing in the absence of a definitive answer to pose questions. The philosopher Heidegger posited two directions for thought: namely, calculative thinking (Rechnendes Denken), which seeks efficiency and correct answers, and meditative thinking (Besinnliches Denken), which queries meaning and essence. If AI exemplifies the pinnacle of the former, then the latter is what remains for humanity.

AI computes, but humanity inquires into meaning.

"Not 'what is the correct answer,' but 'what does this mean to me?'" The process of reiterating the questions, "Who am I? What do I truly desire?" And the act of reinterpreting all of it through the lens of one's own life. No model, no algorithm, can autonomously ask, "Why should I solve this particular problem?"

The Hanja term Sayu (思惟) denotes not merely a brain computation, but a long-breathed contemplation that commences only when the mind achieves tranquility. An inward motion that gradually progresses towards the meaning beyond the visible. It is the act of awaiting clarity within oneself during that process.

Thus, even in translating this newsletter into English, I intend to use 'Sayu Mode.' I believe it is more accurate to introduce this distinct nuance to the world as is, rather than to merely translate it.

Sayu encompasses the following:

• Not information processing, but the assignment of meaning
• Not external answers, but internal inquiry
• Not swift conclusions, but unhurried deliberation
• Not others' interpretations, but re-reading through the lens of one's own life

In an Era of Outsourced Thought, What We Gradually Forfeit

We currently inhabit an era where thought is gradually being outsourced. If we are unfamiliar with something, we simply search for it; complex situations are streamlined by AI, and now, even "AI that makes decisions on our behalf" has emerged.

I do not deny that this represents monumental progress. I, too, actively utilize AI.

Yet, as we grow accustomed to this convenience, certain things are quietly vanishing. The time spent slowly examining by what principles one lives, what brings joy, what ignites anger, and why discomfort arises in certain situations. That time is progressively diminishing.

While AI strives to emulate humanity, are humans, in fact, gradually coming to resemble robots? Are we slowly transforming into beings who merely react to given inputs, consuming only external answers without internal inquiry?

As Long as Sayu Persists, the Light of Hope Will Not Fade

Nonetheless, I hold one steadfast belief.

As long as we do not cease Sayu, the light of hope for humanity will never extinguish.

No matter how advanced AI becomes, the act of asking "Where do I stand right now?" and "What does this experience signify for me?" and the attempt, however faltering, to answer in one's own distinct language, will undoubtedly remain an exclusively human domain.

The more AI undertakes on our behalf, the more crucial it becomes for us to understand "what we truly desire" and for our capacity to autonomously ponder "what questions ought to be asked" to become more definitive. Consequently, the unique domain of humanity becomes even more sharply defined and more precious.

Thus, I Activated 'Sayu Mode'

The name 'Sayu Mode' was born in this manner.

Just as AI services offer 'Think Mode' for deeper outcomes, should not we, as humans, consciously activate our own Sayu Mode? This is not a rejection of AI, but rather a resolution, starting with myself, to think and engage in Sayu deeply, so as to live more authentically human lives in the age of AI.

This space is not a showcase for definitive answers. It is a place for candidly documenting how I came to think, what I observed and how I felt, and before which questions I paused. There will be hesitations, fissures in thought, and Sayu that has not yet reached a conclusion. I believe these very aspects are evidence of living Sayu.

Through these writings, I hope you too will pause for a moment and take the time to quietly ask yourself:

Where do I stand right now? What do I truly desire? What kind of life am I living?

Starting with Myself, and Alongside You

As AI activates 'Think Mode' and deepens its processes, we too endeavor to engage our own Sayu Mode.

As individuals who create meaning, not merely consume information. As individuals who think in their own voice, not in the language of others. As individuals who grapple with profound questions, rather than chase swift answers.

This newsletter is a modest experiment in practicing that belief. Beginning with myself, and alongside you who read these words.

As long as Sayu endures, hope remains for us.