Artificial intelligence (AI) is the new craze with unknown consequences. You have some who think AI will have a wonderful impact on society, while others are warning of the dangers. Some believe that AI will lower costs on things like lawyer fees and medical exams, while others say that we don’t know what we’re doing, that AI will take over and end humanity. Isn’t it ironic that us, a creation who has done all we can to usurp our Creator, is concerned that our AI creation may usurp us?
I don’t know where AI will take us, or what sort of cataclysmic effects it will or will not trigger. I do know that AI will have unintended consequences. If you follow my blogs, we’re likely familiar with a line I frequently use, “ideas have consequences”. Many of those consequences are unintentional. Ideas always have unintentional consequences.
Every Great Idea has a Consequence
Cars were a great invention, they revolutionized transportation and travel. They too had unintended consequences. No one foresaw that they would be operated by drunk people and cause fatal crashes. Cell phones changed the world by making communication so much easier. But, no one guessed that we would spend so much time on them that we would develop addictions or posture problems, that they would give unfettered access to porn and violence, or that we would lose the ability to have intimate relationships. Electricity changed the world, but Edison didn’t predict that the ability to control light would disrupt people’s natural sleep cycle or overburden power grids. You get my point.
AI. Consequences are Still Unknown
AI may go on to offer great benefits to humanity. It will also certainly offer undesirable consequences, many of which we can’t even imagine today. My point in this article isn’t to condemn or champion AI. Rather, I want to highlight how our biblical worldview should impact our engagement with AI. At the very least we should ask a few questions.
Ideas to Consider about AI
1) Do we truly understand the human condition? We are fallen people, each and every one of us, living in a fallen world. No scientific invention is going to cure all the ills of humankind. Only Jesus can do that.
2) Do we fully understand what it means to be human? One aspect of being human is our need (not a desire) for relationship. We are made by a relational God to be in relationships–primarily with Him, but also with other people. Will AI further send us down the road of relationships devoid of intimacy, meaning, and personal interaction? No artificial life is going to satisfy our need for relationship with God and others.
3) What will become our ability to create? Will AI have unintended consequences on our ability to create? If we can simply speak into existence ideas and concepts our brains will likely lose their natural creative properties. We’ve already seen this take place with young children who are exposed to electronics.
4) If we can do it, must we do it? When it comes to scientific progress, I often think of Jeff Goldblum’s line in the original Jurassic Park movie, wherein he told the owner of the park that “your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could that they didn’t stop to think if they should.” The controlling ethic in science seems to be if we can, we should. Sometimes fallen humanity is better off without an invention. Sometimes, the inventor themselves come to regret their creation. Atomic bombs, Keurig coffee machines, and pop-up ads are examples of inventions that came to be regretted by their creators. I’m sure we can all agree on the pop-up ads.
Whatever you decide on AI. As Christian parents, we must be ready to talk to our children about it and help them think through it, because just as Gen Z was the generation raised on smart phones, our younger children will be the generation raised on AI. There are some great possibilities for conversations.
Four Conversation for Christian Parents and their Kids
1. Invention Research: Pick an invention- (cars, computers, telephones, electricity, even vaccines!) and talk through intended vs unintended consequences of the invention. Research the invention, its original purpose and compare to how it’s used/misused today.
2. Glory of God: read and discuss 1 Corinthians 10:23-33. This is a great verse that addresses how something might be lawful but not beneficial and that whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Discuss what this might look like when it comes to the use of different inventions and worldly creations.
3. “Consequence” Bible Scavenger Hunt- Grab your Bibles and research all the different ways the word and idea of “consequences” is used in the Bible. Consider Galatians 6:5, Ezekiel 16:58, Colossians 3:25, Proverbs 22:3, Romans 6:23, Ecclesiastes 11:9. Remember to read for context and fully explore the text surrounding the verse.
4. Legacy Impact: Consider the impact consequences have on others, not just one person. Consider Lamentations 5:7 and Exodus 20:5. Then, look up stories where God’s faithful continued on their path of obedience and faithfulness and accomplished much with God’s help. Consider Joseph, David, Daniel. (Make sure to reinforce that they weren’t perfect and didn’t accomplish anything on their own.) The decisions we make now and the way we choose to live can impact the legacy we leave to our children and grandchildren, impacting how they choose to live.
Consequences of Artificial Intelligence: Replacing What’s Real
In summary, AI will likely offer some benefits. Unfortunately, society will be sold on the benefits, while potential harms will be ignored. Already there are many big players in the tech community (Elon Musk, Andrew Yang, Steve Wozniak, & Rachel Bronson, to name a few) calling for a hiatus on further AI development while we figure out what exactly we’re about to let out of pandora’s box. Whatever we do, we must not let AI cut us off from each other, the body of Christ, the way online church has, or move to an artificial–remember, that’s what the a in AI stands for–Jesus. Already we’ve seen various AI platforms offering “AI
Jesus” or “Jesus AI.” We shouldn’t go to chatbot when we can freely communicate with the real Jesus. Time will tell where AI takes us. We need to be proactive by preparing for its arrival.
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