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Subhead: Wrapping up this eval of AI through a biblical lens
Intro: Ok, this is pure fantasy. But you know about all that weird stuff we read in Revelation 9 about locusts with human faces and tails like scorpions and all that? Have you ever wondered if that could be something like an army of drones equipped for warfare? Like I said, this is simply me thinking like a movie producer, but after seeing drones flying in patterns at the SuperBowl or at a Metallica concert, it’s not hard to imagine an army of them equipped for something other than entertainment (nor hard to imagine that John, seeing the vision he was writing about, not knowing exactly how to describe these things other than to relate it to something he already knew flew and buzzed and made a nuisance of itself…a locust).
Bible segment: Read-through with The Bible Project
Isaiah 61-64, ESV (English Standard Version)
Apologetics segment: What would Jesus AI (artificial intelligence)?
My summary of what we’ve covered up to this point plus today’s wrap-up: (1)
Preamble: We’re called to engage the world, and we affirm that God has given us wisdom to approach issues such as AI in light of Scripture and the gospel message.
Article 1, Image of God: Human creativity is intended to reflect God’s creative pattern, but nothing (including technology) should ever be used to usurp or subvert the responsibility given us.
Article 2, AI as Technology: Tech can and should be used in ways that lead to greater flourishing, but it can’t ever atone for sin or fulfill humanity’s ultimate needs.
Article 3, Relationship of AI & Humanity: AI may excel in computation, but it’s incapable of moral agency or responsibility. Only humanity will be judged on the basis of our actions, and we alone bear the responsibility for moral decision making.
Article 4, Medicine: AI will bring advances to medical technologies that benefits people in manners consistent with loving our neighbor, but we should take care to reject the idea that the effects of the Fall – death and disease, can be eradicated apart from Jesus.
Article 5, Bias: Any tool, including AI, will inherently be subject to biases which we should seek to minimize or eliminate, including rejection of advancing any ideology seeking to subjugate human autonomy.
Article 6, Sexuality: Affirming God’s design for sexuality as an exclusive, lifelong, covenantal relationship between a man and a woman, we deny the pursuit of pleasure as justification and condemn the consequent objectification.
Article 7, Work: Work is part of God’s plan for human beings participating in the cultivation and stewardship of creation, but we deny that human worth and dignity is reducible to an individual’s economic contributions and/or that a life of pure leisure is laudable.
Article 8, Data & Privacy: Privacy and personal property are intertwined rights, and even if God knows everything, it’s neither wise nor obligatory to have your whole life open to society and data collection should uphold the dignity of all.
Article 9, Security: AI has legitimate uses in supporting the government’s responsibility to protect the life and pursue the justice necessary for a flourishing society, but it also could be used to dehumanize, depersonalize, or even suppress free expression or other God-granted human rights.
Article 10, War: Warfare should be governed by love of neighbor and the principles of just war, and AI may assist those ends provided that full moral responsibility and culpability is always human and never delegated to AI.
Article 11, Public Policy: The public, not just the government or technology developers, has and always should have a role in shaping and crafting policies.
Article 12, The Future of AI: We may not fully comprehend where AI will develop, including surpassing many human abilities, but nothing will supplant God as Creator of life nor the church’s unique role in calling for the humane use of AI. AI will not make us neither more nor less human, obtain a coequal level of worth as humans as image bearers, nor give us anything to fear given our confidence in God’s redemptive sovereignty.
Take action segment
Your personal prayer-reading: Psalm 120
Consider reading the entirety of the statement including the Scripture references. You don’t have to agree with all of it, but are you ready to be part of the conversation when someone brings up artificial intelligence? The world needs your biblically-informed voice.
-R
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in tech-assisted communications, an award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. A five-time entrepreneur and certified John Maxwell Team leadership coach, he now is focused on launching For The Hope, a daily Bible and apologetics podcast and training organization equipping on-the-go Christian casemakers with confidence and courage for marketplace conversations. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources
(1) "Artificial Intelligence: A Statement of Principles," The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, April 11, 2019, accesses April 29, 2019, https://erlc.com/resource-library/statements/artificial-intelligence-an-evangelical-statement-of-principles.