I’m, Scott Hercules, the voice behind Mind and Machines, a blog dedicated to exploring the profound philosophical questions surrounding artificial intelligence. My passion for this subject ignited during my undergrad days at Georgia State University, in a course called “Great Questions of Philosophy.” There, I encountered Plato’s Allegory of the Cave while dissecting The Matrix, my favorite film. The parallels between the cave’s shadows and the curated narratives of mainstream media struck me deeply, revealing how our perceptions of reality are shaped. When I began noticing AI’s role in curating our digital lives—crafting the algorithms that filter our experiences—I saw the allegory come to life in a new, urgent way.

A pivotal moment came during a conversation with Grok, an AI developed by xAI, where I explored these ideas further and uncovered striking comparisons between the allegory and our digital world. That exchange fueled my desire to share these insights with like-minded thinkers. Through Mind and Machines, I dive into the cave of AI-driven curation, examining how algorithms shape our reality, challenge our sense of agency, and obscure or illuminate the “sunlight” of truth. My goal is to spark thought-provoking discussions that help us question the digital shadows we inhabit and seek a clearer understanding of the world AI is building around us. Join me as we navigate the intersection of mind, machine, and meaning.