Artificial Intelligence?

And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

Dear Friends,

Though Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been a hot topic for over a year, it seems like it has really ramped up in the last week or so. The resignation of some AI company employees and the voicing of their concerns about the possibility of AI destroying human life has really gotten people’s attention! This has brought to the forefront the conversation about how useful AI is and how harmful it might be or become. As Christians, I think an appropriate question is, “How does our faith inform how we relate to AI?” My hope is to offer a couple of “handles” as we grapple with this question.

AI is a useful tool.

I’m old enough to remember when “doing research” meant consulting a set of encyclopedias (when was the last time you heard that word?) or heading down to the library, looking through a card index file, and finding a book or magazine on the subject. Access to information was a privilege and—quite often—information meant money. With the internet and search engines, it became easier and easier to find pertinent information, articles and/or videos on almost any topic. AI is the latest and most efficient way of accessing information. In a very real sense, it has democratized information and that is very helpful.

On the other hand, all tools can be used for good or for evil. From primitive stone tools to fire to computers to nuclear power… each of these can be used for beneficial purposes or for more nefarious purposes.  That’s what tools do: they increase our capacity to both build or destroy. In Christian terms, we know that tools can magnify our ability to “do good” or can magnify our sinful desires and impulses. It depends upon the “heart” that is using them. (Does AI have a heart?)

AI satisfies our desire for efficiency and immediate gratification.

In a very basic sense, improvement in technology is the goal of doing things faster, easier and better. Improvements in agricultural technology are what allowed humans to move from hunters & gatherers to city dwellers. The industrial revolution greatly reduced the amount of human labor that went into manufactured items. The “I want it and I want it now” movement has created fast food, Amazon Prime, Door Dash, social media, and internet entertainment (to name a few). With Generative AI, AI has the ability to not just glean and summarize from available data but to create new content such as text, images, audio, video, or code. It is a big topic in Art School because AI can learn the style of an artist and it can create a piece of work in that style… it does it in seconds. Who needs artists? Whatever kind of image you want to see, it can generate it for you!

One of my instructors pointed me to an article by Natasha Sachsenmeier named, AI Can Replace the Product. It Can’t Replace the Process: How AI is revealing where human value lies. In this article, the author uses the lens of “product” and “process” to look at what AI can do. The basic idea is that AI creates product but eliminates human process. For things like new medicines and vaccines, that may not really matter. For many other endeavors such as sports, art, writing, music and any craftsmanship, the process is what gives it value… It is the lived experience, passion, insight, effort, pain, learning, innovation and time of the creator that gives the item (product) much of its value.

In Christian terms, I’d say it this way: It’s not just about the destination. It’s about the journey. In our walk with Jesus, it’s not just about “thinking” the right way about God, it is about the daily joy and struggle of learning to love, forgive, trust, and serve. Like in most things, it is the hard times that help us discover our strengths. It is in the times when we feel helpless that we experience the love of God and others. It is in the times that we “don’t know” that we discover the deepest truths. Don’t be too quick to sacrifice the process for the product!

I hope this gives you a little grist for your mill!

Peace,

Pastor Phil