In-form-at-ion: Rethinking Intelligence, AI, and the God Bit
Jose T. Thomas with Leena Jose T.

This book, “IN-FORM-AT-ION: Rethinking Intelligence, AI, and the God Bit” offers a symbiotic vision of science, technology and wisdom. It presents a groundbreaking synthesis that reframes the evolution of intelligence — from matter to mind to planetary wisdom — through a cosmological and ontological lens. It bridges emerging sciences such as information theory, quantum physics, evolutionary biology, and AI with ancient traditions of contemplative insight, metaphysical intuition, and ethical intelligence.

Rather than juxtaposing technology and wisdom traditions as opposites, the book advances a symbiotic paradigm, showing how modern developments (like neurosymbolic AI, complexity science, and field-based ontologies) echo perennial insights from Advaita, Buddhism, Christian and Sufi mysticism, and indigenous thought. It proposes that the true potential of technology lies not in domination or utility, but in co-evolution with a compassionate intelligence that has been intuited for millennia. Through the metaphor of the God Bit and the model of a cosmic field of compassionate intelligence, the book reorients the dialogue between science and spirituality — not as a reconciliation of antagonists, but as a co-creative unfolding of consciousness through information. 

The Cosmic Unfolding of Compassionate Intelligence is the core theme of this book: In-form @ action, formation, transformation and transfiguration. With the integration of physics, metaphysics and spirituality, a meaningful complimentary holistic account is made. Hence, this book invites the readers towards an integration of science and technology with an underpinning of spiritual transformation for a quantum leap in faith and reason. 

The new cutting edge technologies emerge from Quantum Mechanics (QM) which was established in the 20th century as the largest collective intellectual exercise initiated by physicists like Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg, Schroedinger, de Broglie, Dirac, Pauli, Born, Bose etc. However, there is indeed huge foundational problems between the classical physics whose perfection is the theory of relativity which describes the ordinary and the macroscopic and ultra-fast universe while QM explains the microscopic universe. The Classical physics and relativity are built upon the deterministic and objective reality with its philosophical foundations where an event or a measurement could be predicted with absolute certainty if the present state of a system is known. Anyone can observe and measure the reality detached from the observing system and it has no influence on the measurement. However, in QM, the state of the system can evolve in infinite ways and the wave function collapses when there is a measurement and the observer and the observing systems are intertwined. Also, in QM, reality exists as wave and particle and scientists like Bohm proposed new quantum mechanical interpretations – Ontological or Holistic Interpretation – where the wave guides the particle as quantum potential. 

The present-day problem in physics is how to quantize relativity and how to relativize quantum. Recently, during a conference where the writer of this foreword was also present, Prof. Nikolai Hermann, the former Director of Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics, Berlin, has expressed that “we have too much of mathematics while physical concepts were lacking and the last 40 years of research in quantum mechanics with its String, Super String, Bubble and other theories have not provided much results”. QM follows randomness, indeterminism and quantum logic on which the new technologies like quantum entanglement, quantum computing, quantum teleportation, blockchain, cyber security, autonomous intelligence, autonomous-intelligence-driven robotics are now possible and Chat GPT, Deep Seek, Deep Search, Claude Ai, Large Language Models, Large Behavioural Models etc., are already in the market. Today’s computing is based on Boolean logic with a yes or no, namely, 0-1 while the quantum logic is still 0-1 but incorporating between 0-1 infinite possibilities with the superposition principle in QM. The bits of classical computing are enhanced by quantum bits known as qubits and basing on qubits Quantum Computing with its infinite but limited power of trillions of calculations per a fraction of a second could yield immense power of computing. Internationally a feverish competition is going on in developing Quantum Computing and India is also in this race for the ultimate technology. 

Also, the particles that are entangled known as entangled state behave as if unseparated in space and time and influence each other instantaneously as if there are transluminal signals proposed by ECG Sudarshan, a scientist originally from Kottayam who contributed much for the understanding of our microworld while teaching at Texas University, USA. All these new concepts evolved from QM turned into superior technologies which together are known as quantum technologies. These technologies lead us to new innovative and creative worldviews which are mentioned by Jose and Leena in this book. However, technologies which we might be unaware of and unheard of will emerge tomorrow. Something like DNA based technologies which can be implanted into the body and hence, body can adapt and artificially automate and enhance knowledge, connectivity, memory etc! These technologies promote the emergence of transhumanism, which to some extent are almost available now. Many of the jobs at present humans are conducting might be taken over by AI-driven robots and drones. Many hazardous jobs are automated and they can operate in factories without lights and observers and can even work for ages without interruptions. We need not be frightened about it, but need to cautiously incorporate it with our God-given human intelligence, becoming partners in the creative divine endeavour. Creating such an awareness among us is the role and purpose of the present work as I see it. 

Jose and Leena invite us to integrate the thought of Teilhard de Chardin’s Cosmic Consciousness illustrated through the Divine Milieu and Sri Naraya Guru’s practical thoughts on Advaita. Leena and Jose have brought out the relationality in and through their work with their feminine and masculine, intuitive and rational perspectives into a holistic continuum where reality is not a collection of separate objects but a field of dynamic becoming. After being a very successful journalist, Jose T. Thomas took a serious turn to meditate, reflect and search for truth and propagate it, by resigning from his active journalistic carrier. It was a serious decision for the family and his life partner Leena, who supported it wholeheartedly and both of them together with their children became a unique family in the search for truth and the proclamation of it. Jose is from the sciences with a Post Graduate degree in statistics while Leena from the English literature. Their life is of complementary nature of the sciences and the humanities which are integrated into a life of critical analysis and evolutionary socio–spiritual exposition. I often heard that the child is the teacher. However, Jose and Leena consider their son Arvind as their mentor and he wrote an appreciation and critical comments for their books. Their daughter Dr. Indu is a scientist and lives with her husband and their children in Bangalore. This is the first book which is a collective endeavour of both Jose and Leena. Earlier books though placed the name of Jose as the only author, the thoughts of Leena are also behind them and integrated into it.

In the beginning of the present book, they narrate their beginning of the search with a critical reflection on the popular belief of a wrathful God of vengeance who needs to be propitiated. Now they see “a Great Shift unfolding across the world — a shift from fear-based ideologies and theologies to a universal consciousness of unconditional non-judgemental love and harmony”. This book is an invitation to see this silent shift happening in the core of humanity with the help of a symbiosis of new scientific and technological paradigms and spiritual wisdom. The authors suggest a universe which is a field of compassionate intelligence and a process exemplified by the Malayalam words, namely, kambanam, prakambanam and anukambanam, meaning vibration of kindness, trembling of mercy and quivering of love in every moment. They call it a Kitchen Theology as quite often the main themes in this small book were initiated at the kitchen table and critically elaborated through continued discussions, matured and sedimented in and through reflection and prayer. Their Kitchen Theology integrates the thought of Chardin’s Cosmic Consciousness illustrated through the Divine Milieu, Sri Naraya Guru’s practical thoughts on Advaita and other spiritual wisdom traditions. According to them, the core of the next phase of human life is the integration of the sciences, technologies and spiritualities — a phase in which the manifestation of compassionate intelligence permeates through everyone and everything. 

I am writing these lines on the day in which humanity bade farewell to a great world leader, a Pope of mercy and compassion, of universal fraternity and care for creation. Pope Francis showed that instead of the number of nuclear warheads and battalions of soldiers, what we need is justice, peace and progress and a compassionate heart with an understanding consciousness. And now we have a new energetic and dynamic Pope Leo XIV, with a mathematics degree who is definitely aware about the influence of the emerging quantum technologies. In his first public address to the Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV unveiled a prophetic vision about the future of Catholic Church placing artificial intelligence at the centre of contemporary theological, social, ethical. and technological challenges. So, I conclude this long foreword to this short book which emphasizes the compassionate autonomous intelligence and its impact on the contemporary social order. I congratulate Leena and Jose who present a visionary outlook, new hope, new vision and a new mission through this short book with luminous insights. I am sure those who read this book will be drawn towards new paradigms and a new enthusiasm for revolutionary thinking and acting.

April 26, 2025, JIS University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.