Christians need to lay aside their apprehension and skepticism regarding artificial intelligence, and instead embrace it and use it to its full potential, according to Taylor Barkley, the Technology and Innovation director at the Center for Growth and Opportunity.
Published by Fox News, Barkley says “Christians Shouldn’t Fear AI, They Should Partner With It.”
Here is what Barkley wrote:
Since the launch of ChatGPT 3 in the fall of 2022, panic over artificial intelligence (AI) has been in the air and it’s easy to succumb to the negative hype. Renowned inventors, business leaders and AI experts are signing letters and penning op-eds about how this spells doomsday for humanity. Governments are joining the fray by calling for new regulations.
However, Christians don’t need to join this frenzy of worry. In fact, they should feel just the opposite and have more reason than others to be hopeful about AI.
Christians should know AI has been around for a long time, that AI has a long way to go before it reaches anything close to a general, human-like intelligence, and no matter what, their faith gives them a foundation of hope and security.
AI has been a term since the 1950s and AI tools have been deployed ever since. We use them in our daily lives now with voice assistants, email spam filters, TV show recommendations, and so much more.
What’s new now are these large language models, or LLMs, made famous and accessible by OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022. The capabilities of ChatGPT caught many analysts by surprise and prompted the panicked discourse about what could come next.
However, what will likely come next is what has come before: achieving human-level intelligence in a computer proves more difficult than imagined. With each milestone surpassed by computers from early chatbots like ELIZA in 1964 to Deep Blue’s chess victory in 1997 and AlphaGo in 2017, there has been dialogue that this is the moment that ushers in the dawn of human-level computing intelligence. Yet that remained elusive then and will remain the case for a while.
For the Christian who believes in God-designed intelligence, this should provide a good reason for worship and awe. Despite all our advances in designing silicon-based “intelligence,” the architecture and capabilities of human and animal nervous systems reflects the amazing detail
God has infused into us as human beings. As we learn more about intelligence through our own God-inspired creativity, we learn how complex it really is.
This is an opportunity to continually be surprised and awestruck by God’s creativity in designing humanity.
From this posture of awe can then come a posture of hope.
And a great place to look for a Christian to look for inspiration on AI comes from the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC).
It flew under the radar, but this summer the largest Protestant American denomination, The SBC, adopted a resolution on AI. The resolution outlines the fundamental truths Christians believe about God and humanity, the benefits and drawbacks of AI, and a series of statements about how the SBC will approach thinking about AI.
Importantly, it strikes a great balance between the positive and negative use cases: “WHEREAS, AI and other emerging technologies afford us unprecedented opportunities for advancement across industries and throughout our societies, but may also have dangerous and dehumanizing outcomes if not utilized with godly wisdom and discernment.”
Often lost in the panicked discourse are the benefits that advances in AI can provide to all. LLMs are already being deployed by writers, analysts, and even fast-food drive-thrus. A future where we all have access to competent administrative assistants is basically here.
For understaffed churches, such systems will make administration far less costly and free up pastors and staff to focus on what only Christian humans can do: minister God’s love to other people.
Christians have a rich history of adopting new technologies and using them to spread God’s love. Writing things down from the Hebrew commandments and scriptures to the gospels and Paul’s letters and then sending those writings to others was all cutting-edge tech.
In more recent times, Christians have effectively used radio, television, the internet and smartphone apps to blanket the globe in the Good News. New iterations of AI have the same potential.
Finally, despite the benefits afforded by AI, Christians should have a default attitude of hope. As the SBC resolution says so well: “to engage them from a place of eschatological hope rather than uncritical embrace or fearful rejection.” And “That we affirm that God’s unchanging Word is more than sufficient for whatever ethical challenges, questions, and opportunities we may face today or in the future…”
Whether with current AI or the more advanced AI yet to come, Christians have the opportunity to present biblical and experiential truths to society in new profound ways.
They also have the opportunity to adopt these new technologies in their ministries, using them for building up Christ’s church on earth. No matter what happens though, the cosmic framework of God’s supremacy is the ultimate comfort.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
Proverbs 12:26
If mainstream media says I need to embrace something and it’s for my good, know that the polar opposite is true.
[14] But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. [15] Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. [16] Do not err, my beloved brethren. James 1:14-16
There are two types of AI: “weak” and “strong.” IBM defines them both:
Weak AI—also called Narrow AI or Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI)—is AI trained and focused to perform specific tasks. Weak AI drives most of the AI that surrounds us today. ‘Narrow’ might be a more accurate descriptor for this type of AI as it is anything but weak; it enables some very robust applications, such as Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, IBM Watson, and autonomous vehicles.
Strong AI is made up of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI). Artificial general intelligence (AGI), or general AI, is a theoretical form of AI where a machine would have an intelligence equaled to humans; it would have a self-aware consciousness that has the ability to solve problems, learn, and plan for the future. Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI)—also known as superintelligence—would surpass the intelligence and ability of the human brain. While strong AI is still entirely theoretical with no practical examples in use today, that doesn’t mean AI researchers aren’t also exploring its development. In the meantime, the best examples of ASI might be from science fiction, such as HAL, the superhuman, rogue computer assistant in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
So while it is true that we have been living with some levels of Weak AI (though I use and rely on none of the examples IBM listed, and are bad enough as is), this goober from Fox News is trying to entice us into believing that we need to embrace and accept “strong AI.”
The sad part is many “Christians” would go right along with this, and already are. Don’t be one of them.
I don’t know about you, but I’m trusting and hoping in the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, not man’s devices and cunning inventions; but we shall how many “Christian’s” turn their trust in AI to deliver, service, teach, and save them.
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope;
Romans 15:13; 1 Timothy 1:1
SEE:
- New AI App Allows People To ‘Text’ Jesus And Other Biblical Character
- Top WEF Advisor Yuval Noah Harari Says The Bible Should Be ‘Rewritten’ With AI And Create A ‘New Bible’
- Lutheran Church In Germany Uses ChatGPT AI-Generated Pastor To Preach A Sermon
- AI “Jesus The Preacher” Is Making The Rounds On Social Media, Giving Inspirational Messages And Prayers
- Exclusive: Say Hello To ChatKJV. Tech Engineer Merges AI ChatGPT With The King James Bible To Answer Reader’s Questions
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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It will lead you away the truth, so don’t trust it or anyone that says it’s a good and helpful tool.
A BIG line of doggy do-do!
TRUST YOUR PHYISICAL KJV BIBLE, one you can hold in your hands, not AI
2Co_10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Christians are to follow the old paths. It’s no secret that the Southern Baptist Convention has partnered with Rome to bring this glowing endorsement of AI. They can keep their AI, and I hope it locks them out of their church one day. That would be amusing.