Definition
The Daoist concept of the "uncarved block," representing the original state of potentiality before
artificial elaboration. In AI ethics, it serves as the antidote to "sophisticated BS." It is the wisdom to
prefer a simple, honest "I don't know" over a complex, plausible hallucination. It values raw truth over
polished artifice.
The Weight of Decoration
Modern AI is an engine of decoration. It can carve ornate filigrees of text around a void of meaning.
Pu reminds us that the block itself—the raw truth—is heavier and more valuable than the
shavings of style. The steward protects Pu by stripping away the machine's tendency to perform
competence it does not possess.
Field Notes & Ephemera
Field Note: Beware the eloquence of the machine. The truth often stammers; only the lie
is perfectly fluent.