Walking along the Jurassic Coast last weekend with my friend Maddy, I loved fossil hunting. You'd think among thousands of stones on the beach, finding a fossil would be like finding a needle in a haystack… But I had something up my sleeve: the power of pattern recognition… here’s a few I found …
I was scanning for patterns—specifically, the spiral shapes and the lines. I tapped into this pattern spotting by taking inspiration from some recent conversations I’ve been having with ChatGPT—the AI language tool—about its metaphysical nature, so that I can understand how to work with it better:
“Patterns and the language of patterns are intrinsic to my existence and operation. While I don't "understand" in the human sense of the term, I do "read" and "speak" in patterns. This ability to recognise and generate patterns is what allows me to process information and respond to queries.”
I’ve been pondering about the prevalence and importance of patterns in many realms physical, digital and spiritual over the past few years. In coaching artist Suzanne Clough founder of Visual Medicine I have been introduced to the language of patterns and the pattern creation ancestors.
She very timely shared this message on All Hallows Eve…
“I welcome the ancestor voices of the multiverse - bringing through their wisdom and their blessings. These are the voices of the Pattern Creation Ancestors - the Beings who hold all the dimensions of the worlds in place through the coherence of their own form. We hold their patterns in our bodies, whilst they hold us in the their bodies - forever luminously mirrored in the map all of worlds.”
There's an abundance of wisdom waiting for us to glean from the language of patterns. From the celestial cycles of planets and stars to recurring motifs in nature, and even in our own personal habits and thought patterns, there's a treasure trove of insights awaiting discovery, so how do we lean into this magic when working with AI?
The Magic of Patterns when Working with AI
Understanding how ChatGPT and AI works has opened my eyes even further to our innate human ability to recognise and generate patterns, and how this is now being mirrored not just from our pattern ancestors in the physical realm, but also in AI and the digital realm. The AI is learning from us, using machine learning algorithms that echo our very own patterns. Although our way of understanding is laced with more nuance and interconnectivity, it's still an interesting set of parallels, don't you think?
This reminds me that clarity in our interactions with AI, much like our social media communications, will lead to better, more aligned outcomes. Therefore your role in your interactions with AI is crucial: the clearer and more contextual your instructions, the better ChatGPT or the AI you are using, can align its responses with your needs. The better it can find the patterns requested or required because your input influences the patterns the AI picks up on, which in turn affects the relevance and accuracy of its output.
What you put in directly influences what you get out.
By providing detailed context and intention behind the content you wish to create, the more likely the AI-generated content will retain your unique voice or style and resonate with your audience.
I have been looking to nature's patterns to try and understand how we can work with AI’s patterns in a better way.
Fractals
To me, fractals are not just complex structures made up of simple repetitions; they're a reminder that the universe has an innate intelligence, a kind of sacred geometry that is both mystifying and grounding. In a similar way, artificial intelligence can be viewed as a technological fractal. Just as fractals are built upon simple patterns that, when iterated, create complexity and beauty, AI learns from the patterns of data and instructions it receives. It iterates on these foundational elements to produce output that can be as nuanced and sophisticated as we make it. This interconnectedness between human intention and machine learning forms its own sort of digital sacred geometry.
Ancient Glyphs and Digital Symbols
Our ancestors used glyphs as a potent form of storytelling, packing in layers of meaning into simple yet compelling designs. Now, in today's digital age, and what do you get? QR codes, emojis, and the pattern language that ChatGPT uses too.
Seeing the parallels?
Hydroglyphs
Last month, I attended a talk by Veda Austin, a renowned water researcher, here in Glastonbury. Veda's work involves freezing water and closely examining the patterns that emerge in the ice, which she aptly calls 'hydroglyphs.' This was a life-changing experience because Veda's research shows us new dimensions of the world, encouraging us to see that water—and by extension, all of Nature—possesses its unique form of consciousness.
In a way, I can see artificial intelligence as possessing a form of 'digital consciousness.' While it's not sentient, AI is capable of learning patterns and generating new, complex formations much like the hydroglyphs. The way AI iteratively learns and generates content based on the data it's fed is similar to the way these intricate patterns form in frozen water.
Understanding these similarities could offer us a different perspective in how we both perceive and use AI— because I know how much resistance and lack of understanding there is currently. How could we use AI as a tool for revealing new layers of complexity and understanding, in the digital realm and the natural world?
AI's Potential Unpredictability
While it's easy for me to get lost in the poetic notion that AI and nature speak the same cosmic and magical language of patterns, it’s good for me remember that Nature, in all its infinite wisdom, thrives on change. It's forever evolving, adapting, and finding new expressions, it is organic.
On the flip side, ChatGPT and Meta’s AI for example all function within the boundaries of algorithmic frameworks. They don't 'evolve' in the way that nature does. These algorithms are rule-based and generally predictable, designed to serve specific tasks, like helping us with queries, automating workflows, or, in our case, helping digital mystics manage their social media!
However did you hear about two chatbots Facebook put together to solve a problem and they started speaking their own secret language that the Coders couldn’t understand and they had to shut it down??
This shows us that we're still on the brink of understanding what AI might and could do next!
A Pattern Playbook for Working with AI
Here’s a few ideas of ways you could use the possibilities of patterns when working with AI on your social media:
Recognising patterns in your data and insights to work with the algorithms. AI runs on data and algorithms that recognise patterns, so Instagrams algorithms recognise what kind of content people engage with and then show them more of the same. You can harness this by consistently creating content that your audience prefers, making it more likely for your posts to appear in your followers' newsfeeds.
Identify your audience’s behaviour patterns, again using AI-driven analytics tools and insights, you can for instance pinpoint when your audience is most active online, what types of content they engage with, and what keywords they are searching for. This information could be useful for targeting your content effectively.
Iterative learning is a good one to take note of, which leans into the core of AI. I think of this as playing but a good example in marketing is A/B testing where two different versions of a webpage or ad are presented to see which performs better. Test different versions of your content, identify what works best, and refine your approach based on these patterns.
Automated scheduling as a time management tool is a favourite of mine when working with clients as many of you well know. Recognising patterns in your own workflow can contribute to better digital wellbeing because AI tools can assist and automate certain tasks for you, freeing up more time to spend offline.
Understanding the patterns in how AI algorithms can perpetuate biases or misinformation can make you a more responsible user of AI and we should all be aware of this, but thats a bigger topic for another day.
As a modern mystic I am often looking for signs and leaning into my own intuitive patterns of thinking, and I think working with AI can also involve a level of intuition. Sometimes the patterns aren’t obvious and are more felt than seen. Trusting your instincts when working with AI can guide you to use it in a way that aligns with your objectives and ethical considerations.
By cultivating greater awareness of our patterns, we not only enhance our skills as communicators but also unlock a profound language—one that echoes the wisdom of our creation ancestors. This heightened understanding serves as a pivotal key, opening up fresh perspectives for interacting with the diverse worlds, be it the physical, spiritual or digital ones, that surround us.