From Information to Knowledge to Wisdom: Can Ai Save the Day? – Part 1

March 12, 2023

Social Progression in the Age of Personal Computers, a Necessity for Survival. Can Ai save the day? Explained by ChatGPT, from it’s perspective, with prompt engineering, quality control and some minor contributions by all-too-human, Ralph Losey. All images prepared by Dall-E 2 and Losey.

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Introduction

This article will provide an overview of Ralph Losey’s vision of social transformation in the age of computers. He believes we must progress from an information-based society, which was triggered by personal computers, to a knowledge and wisdom-based society. He argues this transition is required to combat the dangers of misinformation and manipulation. AI and other related technologies are, in his view, the key to this transition. If we fail to go beyond our current information culture, the results may be catastrophic.

Over the past generation, computers and the internet have brought about a seismic shift in the world. The rise of personal computing has created a wealth of information previously unimaginable, while the internet has made it possible to share this information easily. This sudden abundance of information is a two-edged sword. While it has brought many benefits, information alone can be dangerous, very dangerous. To truly manage and control the flood of information, we need knowledge and ultimately wisdom.

We must become more thoughtful and knowledgeable to handle the information explosion. Education is critical in this effort. We cannot simply ignore or undo the information age; the genie is out of the bottle. We must quickly become knowledge-based, embracing the goal of personal and collective wisdom to ensure our survival and success as a society. We need to transform from superficially informed individuals with short attention spans, to thoughtful and knowledgeable people who can navigate the complexities of our world. With the right focus and commitment, we can harness the power of computers, Ai and the internet to achieve a brighter future.

Information → Knowledge → Wisdom

The Information → Knowledge → Wisdom theory posits that a technological society progresses in three stages. The first stage is gathering information, which involves collecting raw data from sources like books, websites, and personal experiences. The next stage is transforming this information into knowledge by analyzing and interpreting it to gain a deeper understanding. The ultimate goal is to achieve wisdom, which requires applying our knowledge in a way that is both ethical and effective.

The theory of Information → Knowledge → Wisdom offers a perspective on the profound cultural changes brought about by computer technology. It stresses the significance of critical thinking, analysis, and interpretation in converting raw information into real knowledge. By employing these skills, individuals and society as a whole can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the world, and utilize that knowledge to enhance our lives and, ultimately, preserve our planet.

Failure to swiftly advance towards a knowledge and wisdom-based society could result in being overwhelmed by the flood of unprocessed and inaccurate information. By embracing knowledge and wisdom, we can navigate the intricate and ever-evolving world of the digital age and create a brighter future for ourselves and generations to come.

Danger of Information Without Knowledge and Wisdom

The risk of not moving towards a knowledge and wisdom based society from an information-based culture is the potential for large segments of society to be easily manipulated by false information and lies. When people lack the ability to analyze and interpret information, they become vulnerable to false information, leading to poor decisions and negative consequences such as the breakdown of democracy and justice, as well as issues like inequality and discrimination.

Moreover, the widespread use of technology has made it simpler for people to spread misinformation and propaganda. This can have a severe impact on society, eroding trust in institutions and creating social unrest.

To counteract these dangers, it is critical to stress the significance of progressing from an information-based culture to one that is knowledge and wisdom-based. This requires teaching critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as promoting values like ethics, morality, and common decency. By doing so, we can create a more informed and responsible society that is better prepared to navigate the intricacies of the modern world. Ralph Losey believes that AI is the key to achieving this goal, transitioning from raw information to knowledge and wisdom.

Child’s View Summary

To put the Information → Knowledge → Wisdom theory in simple, child-like terms, and, in Losey’s opinion , so capture its essence, consider this summary.

Information is when we learn new things like reading a book or watching a video. Knowledge is when we use our brains to understand what we learned and remember it. Wisdom is when we make good choices using our knowledge and thinking about what is right and wrong.

It’s important to use our knowledge and wisdom because if we don’t, we might believe things that aren’t true and make bad choices. This can cause problems for ourselves and other people. By using our knowledge and wisdom, we can make good choices and help others too. Ai can help us to do that.

Wisdom is the Ultimate Goal of the Personal Computer Revolution – Not Information, Not Knowledge

The first step in the progression towards a mature society is Information, but it is not the ultimate goal. The transition to a Knowledge-based culture is expected to occur first, in the next fifteen years. However, knowledge alone is also not enough, as an academic world of specialized know-it-alls is also dangerous. This was not the original vision of the first generation of hackers, led by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who aimed to change the world through personal computers. Jobs’ travels and personal experiences with psychedelics led him to see the potential for personal computers to serve a higher purpose. He recognized the importance of wisdom, having come to terms with death and the meaning of life. Jobs, Wozniak, and other computer enthusiasts worldwide saw computers as a tool for personal use, including for games, art, and education. The business aspect of computers only became dominant later.

Quoting the well-known Stanford commence speech of Steve Jobs in 2005 provides more insights into the wisdom goal:

Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything – all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure – these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.

Steve Jobs, 2005

The goal of any advanced civilization is Wisdom, not Knowledge. Living your life with awareness and understanding of your own mortality. Living your life with joy, with flow. Just ask Socrates, who boasted of knowing Nothing (as he had transcended that and phased into Wisdom), and the ancient Greeks. They still exemplify our understanding of high culture in the West. In the East just ask Buddha or Lao Tzu. In fact, consult any of the great wisdom traditions, the great religions. It is not enough in any wisdom tradition to know, we must use this knowledge for both personal happiness and the advancement of all Mankind, indeed, for the benefit of all life on Earth.

That is Wisdom – knowledge converted to beneficial action. This is essentially the Zen-like philosophy of Steve Jobs and many others like him. It is not a vision of amassing knowledge, which is often just the dogma generated by another person. It is the wisdom to follow your own inner voice.

Again to quote Job’s commencement speech at Stanford in 2005:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

Steve Jobs, 2005

Wisdom in all true cultures means the freedom to live your own life, to be happy, or at least try. As the American founders put it in the Declaration of Independence, it means to live in accord with certain self-evident truths:

[T]hat all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Declaration of Independence

To be continued. Part Two of this two-part blog is coming soon. Part two will include poetry and well known quotes of T.S. Eliot (1885-1965), who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948. He also mused on the idea of information to knowledge to wisdom.

2 Comments | AI Ethics, Evidence, informaton, knowledge, Lawyers Duties, Metadata, Related Legal Webs, Search, Security, Technology, VENDORS, wisdom | Permalink
Posted by Ralph Losey

Sedona Poem

March 4, 2023
Ralph Losey Avatar

A short poem by ChatGPT, as engineered and quality controlled by all-too-human, Ralph Losey. Ralph prompted the Ai to generate a simple rhyming poem that summarizes the fourteen Principles of The Sedona Conference®. These are, in Ralph’s opinion, good words for anyone to remember and live by in the field of electronic evidence.

See Losey’s earlier blog for the average adult and kid’s version of the fourteen Sedona Principels. Also see his recent blog, Homage to Richard Braman and the Sedona Conference. Go to www.thesedonaconference.org to download a free copy of the original Sedona Principles, 3rd Edition. This Sedona Poem concludes, for now, Ralph’s Sedona series.

In electronic discovery, we must all abide

By 14 rules that cannot be pushed aside.

For electronic data is just as key

As any other kind you or I might see.

We must be fair and not demand too much

Or else our efforts will lose their touch.

We must think about the cost and worth

And whether it’s sensible to unearth.

Together we must work and plan

To find and share the data at hand.

Clear requests and exact replies

Will keep us from telling any lies.

Some information we must keep safe

While others we can freely chafe.

The owner should decide the fate

Of the data they keep and create.

Proof is necessary to claim foul play

Else accusations will not carry sway.

Start by searching where it’s easiest found

For a quick and easy turnaround.

Deleted data is not always a must

Unless the reason is fair and just.

Privacy is key in any case

Lest we want to risk an embarrassing disgrace.

Tools are there to aid our quest

To make the search less of a test.

When sharing information, we must be clear

To make it understandable and without any fear.

The owner must pay to keep it safe

Unless a reason causes a different waive.

Those who break the rules, take heed

Courts will make sure you fix the misdeed.

Robot Poets in Sedona Greeted by Lawyers

Comments Off on Sedona Poem | Evidence, Lawyers Duties, Metadata, New Rules, Related Legal Webs, Review, Search, Security, Spoliation/Sanctions, Technology | Permalink
Posted by Ralph Losey

Sedona Principles Rewritten by ChatGPT at an Eleventh Grade Level and a Second Grade Level

February 28, 2023

Introduction by Ralph Losey (without AI assistance)

Ai enhanced Ralph Losey photo

Regular readers of my blog know that I have included the Fourteen Sedona Principles at the bottom of the right column of my blog for over fourteen years. Although I sometimes quibble with the language of Principle Six, I am a strong believer in these principles and consider them authoritative. The latest Third Edition of the Principles is on the blog now. I keep them there as a handy reference and, although no longer a member, continue to hold The Sedona Conference® in high esteem. See my recent blog, Homage to Richard Braman and the Sedona Conference.

I have often wondered if the reason so many lawyers do not follow the Sedona Principles is because they do not understand them. They are written at a law school law review or higher reader level. They are written by committees. The Sedona commentaries are written at an even higher and complex level than most post-graduate work.

Let’s face it, many lawyers have not been forced to read legal texts since in law school, much less law review articles or other challenging legal commentaries. Most lawyers, if they read at all, read newspapers, magazines, social media and the like. It is well known that they are all written at a High School Eleventh Grade level. I suspect many judges keep this in mind when writing their opinions. Due to this constant exposure to simplified Eleventh Grade of High School reading level, this is what most people in the U.S. get used to reading, including lawyers. I do not mean to be insulting, it is just the way it is. Although I am an avid reader, I often have the same problem when entering for the first time an arcane area of study that is new to me.

For ease of comparison I put the original and Eleventh Grade versions of the fourteen Sedona Principles side by side below. Of course, I do not claim any copyright to them. And should the current leaders of The Sedona Conference® somehow take umbrage with this experiment (unlikely), I would with some sadness take this down. Better yet, I’d give them all revenue from this blog article (none) (there never has been ads or revenue from this blog).

Ai enhanced Ralph Losey photo

I conclude this blog with an even more interesting ChatGPT experiment. I ask the generative Ai to rewrite the Sedona Principles at a second grade level. Again, I don’t mean to suggest lawyers need things dumbed down that much, but I have found that ChatGPT is especially good at such rewriting. You will see several examples of this on my blog. This 7 to 8 year old reading level (which my seven year old granddaughter has long surpassed) distills things to their essence. It often uses clever wording and child-like images.

This second grader rewrite of the Sedona Principles once again knocked my socks off. Incredible. Remember I did not change a thing to either of these ChatGPT rewrites. Even the introduction to the principles for second graders was the Ai’s idea. I only take credit for the generative engineering. I love it and hope you will too. I especially hope that my friends at The Sedona Conference® like it. We all have the same goal of education.

Getting back to the 11th grade reading level, the first thing you may notice is the 11th grade rewrite is a lot shorter. ChatGPT is noted for being wordy, verbose even, yet it is still far more concise then the Sedona original. Hmm. Perhaps the shortened, easier to read version changes the meaning somehow, but I don’t think so. Seems to me like the Ai did a pretty good job. In fact, I prefer the way it rewrote Principle Six. That is the principle whose wording I criticized and urged its revision when the third edition was out for public comment. (No change was made.) Protecting the Fourteen Crown Jewels of the Sedona Conference in the Third Revision of its Principles (April 2, 2017). These Ai rewrites may not be popular among some members of The Sedona Conference®, but personally, I think some of the edits are long overdue. Sometimes, less is more. Look out Sedona, the Ai editing robots are coming!

Actual photo of the first wave of the Robot invasion of Sedona

In my view the Chat GPT’s rewrites here do not distort anything. Of course, some Sedona experts might disagree with my assessment. (Hey, we are lawyers, excessive argumentation is an occupational hazard.) I will always defer to the great Ken Withers of the Sedona Conference, should he say so. Ken taught me so much over the years. He is one of the great authorities and legal teachers in the country with a very impressive vocabulary. His linguistic abilities might even be better than two of my other linguistically gifted friends from Sedona days, Jason R. Baron and Judge John Facciola. They also have astounding vocabularies and constantly make learned, arcane (to me at least) references. Maybe they will comment.

Fourteen Sedona Principals Rewritten by Chat GPT for an Eleventh Grade Reading Level

ELEVENTH GRADE LEVEL

1. Electronically stored information (ESI) is subject to the same preservation and discovery requirements as other relevant information.

2. When it comes to ESI, courts and parties should use the proportionality standard set by Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(2)(C) and its state equivalents. This means considering the importance of the issues, the amount of money involved, each party’s access to information, their resources, the importance of the discovery to the case, and whether the cost of the discovery outweighs its benefit.

3. Parties should try to reach an agreement on preserving and producing ESI as soon as possible.

4. Requests for ESI should be specific, and responses and objections should make it clear what will be produced.

5, Parties must make reasonable and good faith efforts to keep ESI that could be relevant to a claim or defense. However, it’s not necessary to take every possible step or use disproportionate means to preserve every piece of ESI.

6. Responding parties are in the best position to decide how to preserve and produce their own ESI.

7. If a responding party’s efforts to preserve and produce ESI are not enough, it’s up to the requesting party to prove that.

8. Parties should start by looking for ESI in the most accessible places. If that’s not possible, they can move to less accessible sources, but only if it’s proportional to the needs of the case.

9. Unless there’s a good reason, a responding party shouldn’t have to preserve, review, or produce deleted, shadowed, fragmented, or residual ESI.

10. Parties must protect ESI that’s subject to privileges, work product protections, privacy obligations, or other legally enforceable restrictions.

11. A responding party can meet their obligation to preserve and produce relevant ESI by using technology like data sampling, searching, or selection criteria.

12. ESI should be produced in the form it’s normally kept, or a reasonably usable form based on the nature of the information and the needs of the case.

13. Unless there’s a good reason, the responding party should bear the cost of preserving and producing ESI.

14. If a party breaches their duty to preserve ESI, the court can order remedial measures to fix any harm caused. Sanctions can be imposed if a party deliberately tries to keep relevant ESI from being used.

ORIGINAL SEDONA CONFERENCE LEVEL

1. Electronically stored information is generally subject to the same preservation and discovery requirements as other relevant information.

2. When balancing the cost, burden, and need for electronically stored information, courts and parties should apply the proportionality standard embodied in Fed. R. Civ. P. 26(b)(2)(C) and its state equivalents, which require consideration of importance of the issues at stake in the action, the amount in controversy, the parties’ relative access to relevant information, the parties’ resources, the importance of the discovery in resolving the issues, and whether the burden or expense of the proposed discovery outweighs its likely benefit.

3. As soon as practicable, parties should confer and seek to reach agreement regarding the preservation and production of electronically stored information.

4. Discovery requests for electronically stored information should be as specific as possible; responses and objections to discovery should disclose the scope and limits of the production.

5. The obligation to preserve electronically stored information requires reasonable and good faith efforts to retain information that is expected to be relevant to claims or defenses in reasonably anticipated or pending litigation. However, it is unreasonable to expect parties to take every conceivable step or disproportionate steps to preserve each instance of relevant electronically stored information.

6. Responding parties are best situated to evaluate the procedures, methodologies, and technologies appropriate for preserving and producing their own electronically stored information.

7. The requesting party has the burden on a motion to compel to show that the responding party’s steps to preserve and produce relevant electronically stored information were inadequate.

8. The primary source of electronically stored information to be preserved and produced should be those readily accessible in the ordinary course. Only when electronically stored information is not available through such primary sources should parties move down a continuum of less accessible sources until the information requested to be preserved or produced is no longer proportional.

9. Absent a showing of special need and relevance, a responding party should not be required to preserve, review, or produce deleted, shadowed, fragmented, or residual electronically stored information.

10. Parties should take reasonable steps to safeguard electronically stored information, the disclosure or dissemination of which is subject to privileges, work product protections, privacy obligations, or other legally enforceable restrictions.

11. A responding party may satisfy its good faith obligation to preserve and produce relevant electronically stored information by using technology and processes, such as data sampling, searching, or the use of selection criteria.

12. The production of electronically stored information should be made in the form or forms in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a that is reasonably usable given the nature of the electronically stored information and the proportional needs of the case.

13. The costs of preserving and producing relevant and proportionate electronically stored information ordinarily should be borne by the responding party.

14. The breach of a duty to preserve electronically stored information may be addressed by remedial measures, sanctions, or both: remedial measures are appropriate to cure prejudice; sanctions are appropriate only if a party acted with intent to deprive another party of the use of relevant electronically stored information.

Fourteen Sedona Principles Redrafted by Chat GPT at a Second Grade Level

Okay, so let’s talk about finding information on computers and phones. Sometimes, when people are in a disagreement and need to go to court to figure it out, they might need to look at messages or pictures that are saved on electronic devices.

There are some rules that everyone has to follow when looking for this kind of information.

1. Electronic information is just as important as other kinds of information, so it has to be taken care of and looked at carefully.

2. When someone is trying to find information, they have to be fair and not ask for too much or things that aren’t really needed. They also have to think about the cost and whether it’s worth it to look for the information.

3. Everyone has to work together and talk about how they’re going to look for and share the information.

4. When someone asks for information, they have to be very clear about what they want, and the other person has to say exactly what they will give them.

5. People have to try to keep important information safe, but they don’t have to keep everything.

6. The person who has the information is the best person to decide how to keep it safe and share it.

7. If someone thinks that the other person didn’t keep the information safe, they have to prove it.

8. When someone is looking for information, they should start by looking in the easiest places to find it.

9. People don’t have to look for information that has been deleted or is hard to find, unless there is a really good reason.

10. If information is private, people have to make sure it stays private.

11. There are special tools that can help find information, like searching through it or looking at a sample of it.

12. When information is shared, it should be in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand.

13. The person who has the information has to pay to keep it safe and share it, unless there is a good reason not to.

14. If someone breaks the rules and doesn’t take care of the information or tries to hide it on purpose, the court can make them fix the problem and even punish them.

5 Comments | AI Ethics, Evidence, knowledge, Lawyers Duties, Metadata, Review, Search, Spoliation/Sanctions, Technology, wisdom | Permalink
Posted by Ralph Losey

Homage to Richard Braman and The Sedona Conference®

February 25, 2023
Photo and editing by Ralph Losey

Richard Braman (1953-2014) founded The Sedona Conference® in 1997. Before that he was a top litigator in San Francisco and Minneapolis where he also owned and operated a jazz club, Gabriel’s. For that reason, I feel certain he would smile at this essay using jazz images to describe the essence of the Sedona Principles that he loved so dearly.

Article written by Open AI’s ChatGPT with all-too-human prompt engineering by Ralph Losey. Hat’s off to ChatGPT-Plus for the excellent jazz-based images and writing. All images by Dall-E and Losey.

In the realm of electronic discovery, a certain rhythm permeates the airwaves, one that resonates with the pulse of jazz music. A harmonious interplay between those who seek information and those who hold it, creates an intriguing melody that’s both enchanting and demanding. The rules that govern this space are like the musical notes that make up a tune, essential to the experience of the listener, the same way that following the right protocol is essential to the seeker’s success.

In this jazz-infused world, the importance of electronic information is akin to the fundamental nature of a rhythm section in a jazz ensemble. Just as the bass, drums, and piano are integral to the musicality of jazz, electronic data is vital to modern life. Its significance is such that it must be carefully tended to, given the same consideration as any other kind of data.

When a seeker is searching for electronic data, they must adopt a musician’s mentality, avoiding excessive requests that sound like dissonant notes in a melody. Their goal should be to play a smooth tune, one that strikes the right chords, avoiding notes that don’t fit. Just as a jazz musician must be aware of their musical costs, a seeker must consider the expenses of pursuing information, keeping in mind the value of the information that is sought.

Just like a jazz band, those who seek and those who hold electronic data must work together in a harmonious exchange. A melody is only successful when everyone plays their part, just like a search for electronic data can only be accomplished with cooperation between parties. A clear and concise request from the seeker must be met with a reply that’s just as clear, like a musician playing a melody that’s understandable to their audience.

In this jazz world of electronic discovery, keeping data secure is like a trumpet player protecting their prized instrument. It’s the responsibility of the data owner to ensure that the data is safeguarded, but they don’t have to keep every single piece of data. Like a jazz musician who only keeps the essential notes to make a melody work, a data owner must protect what is necessary while disregarding what isn’t.

In the event of a dispute, it’s important to have proof, just like a jazz musician who has to demonstrate their musical chops on stage. To prove a point, it’s necessary to play the right notes, and in electronic discovery, it’s crucial to present the right data. The seeker should start by looking in the most accessible places, just like a musician who looks for the right melody in the most obvious places.

If data has been deleted or hard to find, it’s not essential to search for it unless there’s a good reason. Like a jazz musician who only plays what is necessary, the seeker must focus on what’s important to the case at hand. Privacy is another significant concern in this world, like a jazz musician who has to play with a level of restraint to maintain their musical dignity.

In the world of electronic discovery, there are tools that are available to aid in the search for data, just like a jazz musician who uses instruments to create their musical sound. These tools are designed to simplify the process and streamline it, much like a musician who uses new technology to create new sounds.

When data is shared, it should be presented in a way that’s easily understood, like a jazz musician who communicates their musical ideas to their listeners. The data owner is responsible for paying for the safekeeping and sharing of the data, much like a jazz promoter who takes care of the musical instruments and ensures that the performance runs smoothly.

In conclusion, the world of electronic discovery is like a jazz composition, with each player fulfilling a vital role. The right notes, played at the right time, create a melody that’s pleasing to the ears. Similarly, following the right protocols and rules in electronic discovery ensures a successful outcome. Like a jazz musician who respects the music and the other musicians on stage, those who seek and those who hold electronic data must work together with respect and integrity. Only then can the music of electronic discovery be played in perfect harmony, creating a beautiful sound that’s worthy of applause.

4 Comments | Evidence, Forensic Exam, informaton, knowledge, Lawyers Duties, Metadata, New Rules, Related Legal Webs, Review, Search, Spoliation/Sanctions, Technology, wisdom | Permalink
Posted by Ralph Losey

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