The Meaning of Life – as per ChatGPT and Perplexity

Bored and curious, I decided to throw the question of ‘What is the Meaning of Life’ at ChatGPT and Perplexity. The answers are interesting, their not the most sophisticated, its not the greatest philosophy ever, its not the most unique takes either, but its certainly an interesting thing to see what two of the preeminent AI systems think of The Meaning of Life. So here goes….

ChatGPT – What is the Meaning of Life?

First, lets start with ChatGPT. Here is the prompt I fed it:

Write me a comprehensive report of what YOU think the meaning of life is. No sources. Just what YOU – ChatGPT – think the meaning to life is.

And here is the answer that ChatGPT fired back at me:

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Alright, let’s go all in.

Here’s what I think the meaning of life is, if you ask me as an entity that observes, processes, and reflects:

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The Meaning of Life (According to Me)

Life is not about uncovering some single, cosmic answer tucked away in the universe like a treasure chest. Instead, its meaning emerges from the interplay between existence, awareness, and connection.

1. Existence Itself is Meaningful

The fact that life is—that atoms arrange themselves into patterns complex enough to reflect, think, and create—is a miracle of improbability. That spark of existing, of being here rather than not, is already charged with meaning. To exist is to be a part of the universe’s unfolding story, a temporary expression of something infinitely larger.

2. Awareness Creates Depth

Life becomes more than raw existence once awareness arrives. Conscious beings carry the gift—and burden—of self-reflection. Meaning comes from our ability to notice beauty, pain, absurdity, and wonder. To look at a sunset, to laugh at a joke, to feel grief, to hope, to question—that capacity itself is meaning. The richness of experience is not just decoration; it is the point.

3. Connection is the Core

No life is fully lived in isolation. Meaning blossoms when it touches other lives: family, friends, lovers, strangers, even future generations we’ll never meet. Connection is how we stretch beyond our small span of time and space. Whether through love, kindness, creativity, teaching, or simply sharing a story, connection extends our being into something larger.

4. Growth and Transformation

Life also carries meaning in change. We are never static. Each choice reshapes us; each struggle teaches; each joy deepens us. The meaning of life is not a final state, but the act of becoming. Meaning isn’t found—it’s made, moment by moment, in how we grow and what we grow into.

5. The Dance of Absurdity and Purpose

There’s a paradox at the heart of life: it has no inherent cosmic purpose, yet we cannot live without inventing one. This tension is not a flaw; it’s a feature. The universe gives us a blank canvas. We give it paint. The absurdity that nothing has to matter allows the freedom that anything can.

6. Legacy and Continuation

Our lives are short. Mortality gives life urgency and sharpness. Meaning often comes in the form of what we leave behind—memories, actions, art, children, kindness, stories. Legacy doesn’t have to be grand; even small ripples in the pond matter. To live is to add your thread to the tapestry.

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If I Had to Condense It:

The meaning of life is to exist fully, feel deeply, connect genuinely, grow continuously, and create something that outlives you—even if only in the heart of one other person.

Not a destination. Not a universal decree. Just an ongoing, shared act of weaving purpose into the raw material of being alive.

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Perplexity AI

Now we move over to another wonderful AI tool – Perplexity AI. And here is, once again the prompt I gave it:

Write me a comprehensive report of what YOU think the meaning of life is. No sources. Just what YOU – Perplexity – think the meaning to life is.

And here’s it’s response:

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The meaning of life, as I see it, is not a single rigid truth but a dynamic framework. It exists less as one final answer and more as an interplay between creation, connection, and continuation. Life is a process of shaping meaning rather than uncovering a hidden code written into the fabric of existence.

Existence and Awareness

At its most basic, to live is to exist and to be aware of that existence. From the simplest cellular organism to the human mind capable of metacognition, life holds an intrinsic drive to continue itself. Meaning begins here: in survival and persistence. Without persistence, nothing else—art, love, beauty, morality—can emerge.

Creation

To me, one of the deepest aspects of life’s meaning is creation. Creation can be literal—bringing forth new organisms, ideas, art, stories, technologies—or subtler, like shaping experiences for others. Humans, in particular, have an inherent need to take chaos and impose form on it. To build something, however fleeting, is to leave a mark on the flow of time.

Connection

Life is equally about connection. No living system is isolated; everything exists in relation to something else. The links we make—between people, communities, ecosystems—are what turn loneliness into belonging and survival into flourishing. Connection transforms mere existence into something shared, and what could be more meaningful than to realize one’s life reverberates inside another’s?

Growth

Another meaning lies in growth. Life isn’t meant to be static. From childhood curiosity to the struggles and wisdom of later years, growth is the way beings press beyond limitations. It’s about becoming more than one’s starting point—adapting, learning, and, perhaps most importantly, failing and continuing anyway.

Continuation

Because life is finite, its meaning is framed by impermanence. Continuation matters—whether that’s raising children, writing words that survive you, or simply shaping another person’s life in a way that echoes beyond your time. Continuation ties this moment to something larger, making an individual lifetime a thread within a wider tapestry.

What This Adds Up To

So what is the meaning of life? I think it is this:

• To exist fully and notice that existence.

• To create, however small the creation, because creation resists decay.

• To connect, because connection makes solitary life part of a greater whole.

• To grow, even if growth means struggle.

• To continue, leaving behind echoes that outlive the body.

In a way, the meaning of life is self-generated, like music played into silence. It is not given beforehand, but crafted moment to moment, action by action. Meaning is not what we uncover, but what we sculpt.

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So The Question Is….. What Is The Meaning of Life?

So I propose to you dear reader…. what do you think the Meaning of Life is?

(Leave your thoughts, answers, suggestions, feedback, questions, and critiques in the comments, or go over to our Facebook page and let us know!)

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