For the past few years, we have seen many advances in the world, but none have affected our everyday lives as much as the smartphone. This little device has the power to alter the way humans communicate with one another. Those of us who grew up before phones left the house can remember a time when playing outside until dark was the norm and parents had no way to track their kids' every move. Times were simpler, and families were able to disconnect from work and school by simply being home and in the same room together. Fast forward to today, where an entire family can be in the living room together yet all in different places through their handheld smartphones.
With all these "advances in technology," it is important to ask ourselves: Is this advancement for our good and bringing us closer to one another or to God? If we are honest, I think most of us would agree the answer to this question is no.
Fast forward to today, another technological advancement has taken over our world: the powerful technology of AI. For those of you who are still new to this world, AI stands for Artificial Intelligence. Simply put, AI is when computers or machines are designed to think, learn, and make decisions like humans do. Let me give an example of what this looks like played out in different parts of society.
Let's say a high school couple has been dating for two years. The young man is rude to his girlfriend when she calls one evening, as he is playing video games, distracted, and not listening. She becomes irritated and sends him an angry text. He is in big trouble. Rather than doing the hard work of thinking and speaking to her in a spirit of repentance, he simply goes into his AI app and types in: "create a text to my girlfriend apologizing for being on video games last night." In one second, AI generates this response:"Hey [her name], I just wanted to say I’m really sorry for spending so much time on video games last night and not giving you the attention you deserve. I realize it might have felt like I wasn’t prioritizing us, and that’s the last thing I want. I’ll do better to balance things moving forward because you’re way more important to me than any game."
The response doesn’t sound believable to him, so he changes his prompt to: "add a joke and that we have dated 2 years and make it sound more like a high school guy." Within a second, AI provides this new response:"Hey babe, sorry for being glued to the controller last night—two years together, and I still don’t have my priorities straight. I mean, you’re way cooler than any video game (and definitely harder to win over). I promise I’ll make it up to you because you’re my favorite player, always."
He thinks this is perfect and sends it. She responds with thankfulness and is happy when she sees him.
The problem with this scenario is that a robot solved the conflict between two humans. Many more examples could be given to show the ethical dilemmas in such situations, but let me provide a few principles from Scripture to guide Christians in a world that uses AI.
AI Can Be Used for Good
There are plenty of ways AI can be helpful without creating an ethical dilemma. Just the other day, I couldn't find my grandmother's hummus recipe, so I asked AI to create an authentic Arabic hummus recipe using garlic, and it did. My family enjoyed hummus, and I didn’t have to spend 20 minutes looking for the recipe.
AI Can Be Used for Bad
The list of potential misuses is long, but one example is using a robot to communicate your heart and mind to those God has placed in your life. This takes away the Christian influence God has given you in that communication. You are replacing a Christian's influence in that setting with a robot's influence.
God intends for Christians to communicate, always guided by the Holy Spirit living within them. AI does not possess the leading of the Spirit, so it should not be used to communicate Christian thought. If a pastor or Christian is using AI to communicate, they are now allowing robots to dictate their words rather than the Spirit of God residing within them.
Easier Does Not Mean Better
My final challenge in this area is that getting into the habit of letting AI do the work in relationships and other areas may seem better in the short term. However, think of the long-term effects of a society using robots to communicate with one another.
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