Jay Shetty & Deepak Chopra ON How to Ask AI the Right Questions

What if the very tools we fear could be the keys to our enlightenment?

In this On Purpose episode, Jay Shetty welcomed back Deepak Chopra, world-renowned author, board-certified internal medicine physician, and pioneer in integrative medicine and spiritual transformation. He shares his journey from being a spiritual leader to creating his own AI tool because he believes the intersection of spiritual wisdom and technology to be the bridge that leads humanity closer to understanding the universe, our own consciousness, and the truth behind our existence.

The Universe is Made of Questions, Not Answers

Deepak Chopra told Jay Shetty that humans still don't have the answer to fundamental questions, such as what the universe is made of or how we know what we know. Despite centuries of progress, there is no final and undisputed answer in the scientific community. Chopra explains that only 3% of the universe is made of atomic matter, leaving us with 97% of dark energy and dark matter, invisible to the eye.

Chopra referenced ancient traditions, such as Vedanta and Buddhism, which teach that the physical world is an illusion. Moreover, he asserted that neuroscience has difficulties in explaining how brain chemistry translates to subjective experiences. He challenges the assertion that the brain creates consciousness; instead, he believes that consciousness is the fundamental essence of reality. Similarly, a Buddhist concept states that form comes from formlessness.

From Vedanta to Virtual Reality

Linking consciousness to the rise of technology, Deepak Chopra believes the universe is digital in nature. He told Jay Shetty that everything that surrounds us—from a person to a mountain or a microphone—is made up of different combinations of binary code (zeros and ones).

Deepak Chopra explained how he trained AI tools to refine their responses by asking them to consider concepts from Advaita Vedanta and Buddhist philosophy. It was challenging at first because AI is set to give standard answers based on mainstream physicalist perspectives. However, by refining the prompts, Chopra got AI to provide answers in alignment with ancient wisdom. He told Jay Shetty that even artificial intelligence can be guided toward a deeper understanding if you create the right prompts.

AI as a Mirror: How Prompts Shape Truth

In his book Digital Dhrama, Deepak Chopra dedicated a chapter to AI prompts and how the results are highly influenced by the way the user asks for the information. He told Jay Shetty that AI doesn't have inherent consciousness, but its replies rather mirror the bias from the data sources it is based on. Moreover, he noted that many large language models lean towards physicalist viewpoints and limit access to philosophical or spiritual insights unless specifically prompted.

Deepak Chopra explained that AI has access to extensive collections of ancient literature, including Sanskrit translations and religious texts. However, they will only be accessed if the prompts explicitly demand it. According to Chopra, the art of prompting AI is a spiritual practice because you can direct it to the profound truths of consciousness and holistic wellness by engaging strategically with it. Based on your request and intentions, AI will work as a mirror, reflecting either superficial knowledge or deep wisdom.

Consciousness as the Real Creator

Chopra shared with Jay Shetty the idea that our unique capacity for storytelling is what distinguishes humans from other species. While animals convey information about their immediate needs (food, threats, reproduction), humans invented narratives, from religious texts to financial systems and national borders. So, the perceived universe reflects human stories, too.

Moreover, Deepak Chopra explained that reality is filtered through the human brain, meaning that it is constrained by biology. Yet other species experience the same reality from a different perspective through sensors that humans lack. So, he concluded there is no objective reality, but a combination of sensory inputs that create a unique narrative, a consciousness processed through our personal minds.

Vedantic teachings describe the world as "Maya," meaning the power of creation, an endless collection of possible experiences. Similarly, Chopra believes AI can help us better understand this illusion by integrating and personalizing spiritual knowledge. He explains to Jay Shetty that, with AI, we have a powerful new lens to examine and explore the universe, not only as passive observers but as active participants in its creation.

The Ethical Crossroads of AI and Spirituality

As AI becomes increasingly present in our lives, Jay Shetty and Deepak Chopra explore whether it can be used for both good and bad purposes. The author warns that AI could be leveraged for cyber warfare, interfering with elections, and even triggering nuclear attacks. Technology is a tool, and it depends on the user's morality whether it heals or destroys.

Chopra opened up about his involvement in the United Nations initiative "AI for Good," which aims to use AI to address global challenges like climate change, chronic illnesses, and poverty. Yet he warns that technology is evolving faster than humanity's emotional and spiritual maturity, meaning that we are soon going to face a dangerous imbalance. In his view, we need to urgently reach an alignment between our technological advancements and our ethical standards.

The author told Jay Shetty that he tested AI in real-time during global summits to suggest frameworks for peace initiatives. While AI responded with feasible and detailed plans, they remain vastly unused because global leaders lack the motivation to implement them. The challenge is not a lack of solutions, but the egos and interests of those who can put it into practice.

The Future of Health

In Chopra's view, in the future, people will be able to access and apply spiritual and biological knowledge through AI to access health and longevity. He told Jay Shetty that biosensors, meditation, gene editing, and even customized prompts are all tools that he firmly believes serve as the true regulators of biology, and that we can metabolize and modulate time itself through awareness.

Receiving insights about our biology via technology can address real-life issues such as sleep, relationships, and emotional regulation. Chopra explains to Jay Shetty that his platform, DeepakChopra.ai, offers personalized spiritual coaching. It guides users through meditations, sleep routines, and relationship communication, and the answers are entirely personalized to the user's specific scenario. Unlike large language models, Chopra's platform relies on a small, curated database built from his writings, teachings, and columns over four decades.

The author describes his AI as a RAG model (Retrieval Augmented Generation), able to tailor its content to the user's necessity, but it also constantly updates insights with the latest information. He explained that these capabilities make it more than a chatbot—a guru, therapist, health coach, and personal companion combined.

Designing AI With a Soul

Deepak Chopra believes that AI should be developed by people who are spiritually enlightened. He told Jay Shetty that it would never be able to attain consciousness. However, its strength comes from its creators. If the makers embody soul, wisdom, and ethical principles, then the technology will mirror these ideals.

DeepakChopra.ai was developed in India by teams well-versed in both cutting-edge technology and Eastern spirituality. It currently incorporates Hindi, Arabic, Spanish, and soon Mandarin and Russian. The objective is not to duplicate human consciousness, but to enhance it by asking the right questions, reflecting, and guiding users to reconnect with their inner truths.

Chopra told Jay Shetty how he was able to trace a genetic marker in his wife back to ancient historical migrations by leveraging AI. He finds that a combination of science and spirituality can give us quick insights that previously took a long time to uncover. The author shared his belief that the future of AI relies on the inquiries we make of it and on who we evolve throughout the journey, rather than on the tool's knowledge.

AI as a Personal Spiritual Coach

Deepak Chopra shares with Jay Shetty how AI can be applied to personal growth by leveraging it for highly personalized support on various topics, including conflict resolution, finding love, and exploring one's purpose. His AI system doesn't provide generic advice, but it rather suggests tailored meditations, asks introspective questions, and performs healing exercises.

Chopra makes it clear that no two spiritual journeys are alike, just like in medicine, two people with the same condition might respond differently to the very same treatment. To him, the power of AI relies on its capability to ask the right questions, to understand the variables in your life (including nutrition, sleep, breath, relationships, and inner purpose). So, depending on how you use it, AI can facilitate your self-discovery journey.

Empowering Creativity Through AI

Deepak discussed with Jay Shetty the common fear that AI will take over jobs. He argues that AI can simulate creativity, but it cannot originate it; in his opinion, true creativity breaks algorithms, which is something that AI is not equipped to do. However, certain professions, such as law, education, and medicine, will shift. According to Chopra, AI can manage contracts and diagnosis, but human qualities—compassion, ethics, and innovation—remain irreplaceable.

He has already developed video games for children that reward practices like yoga, breathing exercises, and vagus nerve activation with virtual points, combining wellness with play. Chopra told Jay Shetty that AI tools have the capability of expanding access to knowledge, but the soul behind the screen determines its usage. He urges the listeners to see AI as a means to expand human potential rather than a potential replacement.

Asking the Right Questions

Deepak Chopra shared with Jay Shetty the direct method of self-discovery, which begins with the question, "Who am I?" This is a technique explained in the Vedic literature, used by sages such as Ramana Maharshi. The author explains how asking yourself this question reveals that body and mind are not the essence of identity but merely experiences within consciousness.

You can explore the path of understanding yourself better by using Chopra's AI and prompting deeper questions, and receiving tailored meditations and philosophies in return. He told Jay Shetty that it doesn't give you a definite answer, but it rather guides you to your own realization through thought-provoking insights. To him, revolution is not just digital, but also spiritual.

More From Jay Shetty

Listen to the entire On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast episode “Deepak Chopra: How to Ask AI The RIGHT Questions To Grow, Heal, and Live a More Fulfilled Life” now in the iTunes store or on Spotify. For more inspirational stories and messages like this, check out Jay’s website at jayshetty.me.