The Holon AI Project

A GoFundMe request was launched 11/21/2023 to jump-start “The Holon AI Project“. This is a proposed demonstration project to provide proof of concept for implementing holon theory in generative AI, and restructuring generative AI with holon causal architecture.

Start-up Request Summary
Based on initial experiments with OpenAI’s ChatGPT4.0, it appears feasible to integrate “Relational Holon Theory ” (RHT), developed over the past 30 years (see references at: https://nexial.org/the-holon-project/), with generative AI such as OpenAI’s GPT. There are many potential advantages to doing this, the main one being to better reflect whole systems thinking for a more viable and sustainable world. While present generative AI has an amazing capacity to improve the quality of human discourse, it remains a double-edged sword limited to simulated human values. However, new discoveries in holon logic suggest it as a template for natural order and intrinsic sustainability. Combining the two will produce more truthful outputs relevant to human values. A dialog with ChatGPT4.0 on this topic, together with ChatGPT’s own scoping of this start-up effort, can be seen at https://nexial.org/the-holon-project/. ChatGPT confirmed that the holon architecture can indeed represent the internal workings ofChatGPT and that re-structuring GPT within the holon template would offer significant advantages. It also confirmed that while a full implementation would require major corporate sponsors, a proof-of-concept demonstration could be done for about $150K-$250K given OpenAI’s collaboration in providing facilities for the experiment over a 4-6 month period, and that a reasonable threshold for getting started is $100K. The cost is mainly to hire experts to code the demonstration. Success in raising public start-up capital will allow us to propose a collaboration with OpenAI, Inc. and get started.
Project Description
At Nexial we are on a mission to transform how AI understands and interacts with the world by introducing holistic systems thinking. Imagine AI that doesn’t just simulate the history of human thought in all its variations, but employs holistic thinking to anticipate sustainable solutions and visionary futures that are as realistic as they are evolutionary. We’re standing at the threshold of a future where AI can anticipate and synthesize knowledge in ways that mirror the complexity and coherence of nature itself. With your help, we can create AI that goes beyond mimicking human realities to enhancing our capacity for future thinking and innovation in more sustainable ways represented by life itself.
In response to the “post-truth” era, named in 2016 by the Oxford English Dictionary, the Holon Project aims to cultivate truth in an age of fragmentation by harnessing natural wholeness. Inspired by a profound new holon theory developed over half a century by, initially, mathematical biologist (relational theorist) Dr. Robert Rosen (who passed away in 1998), myself, Dr. John Kineman, who did the holon synthesis based on Rosen’s work, and a growing number of researchers following and advancing Rosen’s work, such as relational mathematician Dr. Aloisius Louie (one of Rosen’s students) and a lengthy list of scientists, humanists, and supporters, including Dr. Rosen’s own daughter, Judith Rosen. We also hope to collaborate with other institutions such as OpenAI Inc. itself, The College of Exploration, and colleagues at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Naturally, our start-up efforts will need to collaborate with the big players in the pursuit or artificial general intelligence, and use those systems for testing and experimentation. Ultimately, if our efforts are successful, we expect those major providers to adopt the model.
Initial support will fund the experimental deployment of an AI model based on deeply holistic principles, which will be rigorously tested against the empirical background now available through conventional (data driven) AI systems. This new view of reality promises to be more realistic, ensuring outputs that are consistent with the intrinsic wholeness of self-sustaining systems and aligned with our best understanding of natural systemic order passed down through the ages and now rediscovered in the foundational logic of nature and mathematics (relational category theory). This mathematical transcription of ancient wisdom is a first of its kind. Conveying holism through information technology infrastructure, communicates with the modern world in its technical language, and can be deployed to improve all sectors of society that are currently driven by more reductionistic thinking. Given the broad scope and profound nature of this proposal, a conventional approach to venture start-up capital would be an arduous path; we would be asked to provide proof before proof can be demonstrated on a broad enough scale to be convincing; a ‘catch-22.
Support the Holon Theory Project, where AI meets the wisdom of the cosmos: A Leap Towards Truthful AI.
Be part of this transformative journey to unlock AI’s potential and harmonize technology with the universal patterns of life. Every contribution brings us closer to realizing an AI that’s not only powerful but also prudent—a technology that pays forward, guided by the timeless principles of nature.
Contributions are welcome for specific allocation to the Holon Project or for general support of the Nexial Institute, which also fosters East-West collaboration in harmonizing Science and Spirituality. Note that this investment is not guaranteed to achieve our goals, but as a non-profit we are obligated to disperse any unused funds to another charitable non-profit organization.
We are at the threshold of Phase I—our ambitious endeavor to develop a prototype system that marries holon reasoning with state-of-the-art generative AI. This phase focuses on assessing the viability of such an integration for expansive development in the subsequent phases. A compelling demonstration at this juncture will propel us into Phase II, where we will seek traditional grants and strategic partnerships for widespread deployment in key societal sectors.
The novel and advanced nature of our proposed methodology, grounded in non-standard reality assumptions, demands an ‘out of the box’ approach—one that requires initial unconventional support to demonstrate its potential. During Phase I, we will enlist a skilled generative AI specialist to code holon theory into the logic layer of ChatGPT (or other suitable system), under the direction of systems theorist, Dr. John Kineman, and with insights from esteemed relational science consultants.
With over three decades of research and more than 40 publications on this topic, Dr. Kineman has refined and tested this theory—including a model for the elusive ‘final cause’ that, as posited by Dr. Rosen, completes the causal loop. The holon theory remains loyal to Dr. Rosen’s seminal work on category theory and his quest to define “life itself,” upholding the integrity of his mathematical framework.
Join us in this bold leap of faith to cultivate a future where AI transcends data and mirrors the deeper causality of life itself. Your backing is not just a donation—it’s a vote for a more coherent and truthful future.
A list of all contributors will be maintained (with individual consent) on the Nexial Institute website, crediting the visionary support of kind donors into the future. Contributors will receive (by free subscription) regular announcements of progress.
[Note: ChatGPT 4.0 was used to proof read and clarify portions of his Call before final editing, based on extensive dialogue between Dr. Kineman and ChatGPT 4.0 on the viability and significance of the proposed approach, which was strongly supported.]
Contact:
Web Links:
The College of Exploration (informal discussion)
OpenAI (ChatGPT 4.0 client relation only, at this time)
Selected Bibliography

Kineman, John. 2011a. “Relational Science: A Synthesis.” Axiomathes 21 (3): 393–437. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10516-011-9154-z.

Kineman, John. 2011b. “R-Theory: A Further Commentary on the Synthesis of Relational Science.” Proceedings of the 55th Annual Meeting of the ISSS – 2011, Hull, UK 55 (1). http://journals.isss.org/index.php/proceedings55th/article/view/1713.

Kineman, John. 2012. “R-Theory: A Synthesis of Robert Rosen’s Relational Complexity.” Systems Research and Behavioral Science 29 (5): 527–38. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2156.

Kineman, John. 2016a. “Reconstructing the Whole from Contemporary and Vedic Science – Part I.” In . Vol. Proceedings in prep. World Association for Vedic Studies and Wider Association for Vedic Studies.

Kineman, John. 2016b. “An Holistic Framework.” In A Guide to Systems Research: Philosophy, Processes and Practice, edited by Mary C. Edson, Pamela Buckle Henning, and Shankar Sankaran, 1st ed. 2017 edition, Chapter 2. Translational Systems Sciences. New York, NY: Springer.

Kineman, John. 2016c. “Modeling and Simulation.” In A Guide to Systems Research: Philosophy, Processes and Practice, edited by Mary C. Edson, Pamela Buckle Henning, and Shankar Sankaran, 1st ed. 2017 edition, Chapter 4. Translational Systems Sciences. New York, NY: Springer.

Kineman, John J. 2009. “Relational Theory and Ecological Niche Modeling.” In Proceedings of the 53rd. Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Systems Sciences, edited by J. Allen and J. Wilby, 20. Brisbane, Australia: ISSS.

Kineman, John. 2012. “The Ontology of Anticipation.” In Anticipatory Systems: Philosophical, Mathematical, and Methodological Foundations, by Robert Rosen, 2nd ed. IFSR International Series on Systems Science and Engineering, v. 1. New York: Springer.

Kineman, John. 2017. “A Causal Framework for Integrating Contemporary and Vedic Holism.” Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology 131 (Special issue on Integral Biomathics: The Necessary Conjunction of the Western and Eastern Thought Traditions for Exploring the Nature of Mind and Life): 402–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbiomolbio.2017.09.011.

Kineman, John. 2018. “Four Kinds of Anticipatory (M-R) Life and a Definition of Sustainability.” In Handbook of Anticipation, edited by Roberto Poli. Vol. in press. Springer International Publishing.

Kineman, John. 2019. “Science of a Living Universe: Reflections on the Gaia Worldview.” In Seventh International Conference: Science and Scientist June 15-16 2019, 188. Rutgers University, New Jersey: Bhakti Vedanta Institute of Spiritual Culture and Science.

Kineman, John J., and Carol A. Wessman. 2020a. “Relational Systems Ecology: Holistic Ecology and Causal Closure.” In Handbook of Systems Sciences, edited by Gary Metcalf, H. Deguchi, and K. Kijima. Singapore: Springer.

Kineman, John. 2020b. “Relational Systems Ecology: The Anticipatory Niche and Complex Model Coupling.” In Handbook of Systems Sciences, edited by Gary Metcalf, H. Deguchi, and K. Kijima. Singapore: Springer.

Krupanidhi, Srirama, N. Madhan Sai, Homan Leung, and John J. Kineman. 2017. “The Leaf as a Sustainable and Renewable System.” Systems Research and Behavioral Science 34 (5): 564–76. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.2487.

ROSEN, ROBERT. 1974. “ON THE DESIGN OF STABLE AND RELIABLE INSTITUTIONS.” International Journal of General Systems 1 (1): 61–66. https://doi.org/10.1080/03081077408960748.

Rosen, Robert. 1975. “Biological Systems as Paradigms for Adaptation.” In Adaptive Economic Models, edited by Richard H. Day and Theodore Groves, 39–72. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-207350-2.50005-1.

Rosen, Robert. 1977. “Complexity as a System Property.” International Journal of General Systems 3 (4): 227–32. https://doi.org/10.1080/03081077708934768.

Rosen, Robert. 1981. “On a Unified Approach to Pattern Generation.” Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 43 (4): 513–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-8240(81)90010-0.

Rosen, Robert. 1985. “Organisms as Causal Systems Which Are Not Mechanisms: An Essay into the Nature of Complexity.” Theoretical Biology and Complexity: Three Essays on the Natural Philosophy of Complex Systems.(Ed: Rosen, r) Academic Press, London, 165–203.

Rosen, Robert. 1986. “Causal Structures in Brains and Machines.” International Journal of General Systems 12 (2): 107–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/03081078608934929.

Rosen, Robert. 1988a. “On Explaining Creativity.” Journal of Social and Biological Structures 11 (1): 134–35. https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-1750(88)90049-8.

Rosen, Robert. 1988b. “Complexity and Information.” Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics 22 (2–3): 211–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/0377-0427(88)90401-3.

Rosen, Robert. 1991a. “Beyond Dynamical Systems.” Journal of Social and Biological Structures 14 (2): 217–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-1750(91)90337-P.

Rosen, Robert. 1991b. “The Physics of Complexity.” In Facets of Systems Science, edited by George J. Klir, 493–500. International Federation for Systems Research International Series on Systems Science and Engineering. Boston, MA: Springer US. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0718-9_34.

Rosen, Robert. 1991c. Life Itself: A Comprehensive Inquiry into the Nature, Origin, and Fabrication of Life. Columbia University Press.

Rosen, Robert. 1992. “Fractal Physiology and Chaos in Medicine, Bruce J. West. World Scientific Publishing Co. (1990).” Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 54 (6): 1083–85. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-8240(05)80097-7.

Rosen, Robert. 1993a. “Drawing the Boundary between Subject and Object: Comments on the Mind-Brain Problem.” Theoretical Medicine 14 (2): 89–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/bf00997269.

Rosen, Robert. 1993b. “On Models and Modeling.” Applied Mathematics and Computation 56 (2–3): 359–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/0096-3003(93)90128-2.

Rosen, Robert. 1994a. “On Psychomimesis.” Journal of Theoretical Biology 171 (1): 87–92. https://doi.org/10.1006/jtbi.1994.1214.

Rosen, Robert. 1994b. “The Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution, Stuart A. Kauffman. Oxford University Press (1993).” Bulletin of Mathematical Biology 56 (5): 999–1003. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0092-8240(05)80301-5.

Rosen, Robert. 1999. Essays on Life Itself. Complexity in Ecological Systems Series. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

Rosen, Robert. 2012. Anticipatory Systems: Philosophical, Mathematical, and Methodological Foundations. 2nd ed,. (1st ed. 1985). Vol. 1. IFSR International Series on Systems Science and Engineering. New York: Springer. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-1269-4.

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