It's no secret that I am becoming increasingly concerned about the growing influence of technology in our world, and specifically in our lives. Because I have the privilege of age, and have therefore experienced life through an amazing time of rapid growth, modification and change in our daily existence, I am able to discern the effects that technological engineering have made on humanity.
Before I proceed with the purpose of this post, I want to briefly define what I mean by the foundational terms of my hypothesis: Artificial intelligence, Humanity, and the Image of God. I am trying to listen intently and clearly to where the Holy Spirit is leading me. So, I am beginning to gather my scattered [yet inspired] thoughts into a spiritually informed and cogent argument for why we need to be very careful with how we proceed with the next generation of technological advancement. Of course, I am beginning with Artificial Intelligence (AI), the "new science" that has captured the imaginations [and machinations] of men with what I think are questionable motives.
I was actually astounded to discover that the existence of artificial intelligence is not a new idea. There are confirmed mythical, fictional, and medieval legends of artificial beings -- ranging from a creature made of bronze, by the name of Talos, in Greek mythology, charged with acting as a guardian for the island of Crete; to the Swiss alchemist Paracelsus, who claimed he could fabricate an "artificial man" by placing the sperm of a man in horse dung and feeding it the "secret or mystery" (Arcanum) of man's blood, which after 40 days, would result in a living infant.
According to Wikipedia, the earliest written account regarding animation of a Golem (the assignment of human traits, emotions, and in relation to this post, intelligence, to non-human entities such as clay figures - or a computer) is found in the writings of Eleazar ben Judah of Worms in the early 13th century. It was believed that the animation of a Golem could be achieved by insertion of a piece of paper with any of God's names on it into the mouth of the clay figure to receive information. Alchemy (chemistry, magic, sorcery, witchcraft, enchantment) was a huge part of these endeavors.
Again, Wikipedia says that modern artificial intelligence was born in the 1940s when the study of logic and formal reasoning led to the invention of the programmable digital computer, a machine based on abstract mathematical reasoning. This invention inspired scientists to begin discussing the possibility of building an electronic brain. Fast forward to the early 2000s when "machine learning" was applied to a wide range of problems in academia and industry. With the advent and availability of powerful computer hardware, the collection of immense data sets, and the application of solid mathematical methods, "deep learning" became a reality, and we now have a breakthrough that has led to the rapid scaling and public releases of "large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT". That is a short (and simple) synopsis of the idea of artificial intelligence.
Moving on to the term Humanity, I consider it to be the condition, quality, and state of being human, which includes compassion, empathy, kindness, and understanding towards others. It is the consideration of humans as a group; the human race. That's a rather detached definition of the qualities of humankind, devoid of what I consider is the most important attribute of our state ... we are created in the Image of God, an immaterial spirit, capable of communing with our Maker. As GotQuestions.org elucidates, we are an "Image-Bearer" of God's likeness mentally, morally, and socially. We can reason and choose, which is a reflection of God's intellect and freedom. We were created in righteousness and perfect innocence, a reflection of God's holiness and image. We are created for fellowship, which reflects His triune nature and His love for us; and whenever we marry, make a friend, hug a child, or gather together in the Name of Jesus, we reflect the likeness and image of God.
The problem, as I see it, and the reason for my concern, is the very clear intentions of some members of our humanity to use AI to separate us from our understanding of what it means to be a human and created in the image of God. Our identity as a created being [in His image] is a fact and a truth that sets us apart from any other form of creation -- including [and especially] computers. We alone are a reflection of His values and purpose as Creator. A computer cannot reflect God's spiritual attributes; it can't show holiness, love, or fellowship.
We must realize and see that modern proponents of Artificial Intelligence are attempting to apply human [and therefore God-like] qualities to machines, describing their ability to "think", "learn", and "understand". This serves to confuse [and conflate] the nature of man and machine. No matter how close these machines and computers can come to mimicking human intelligence, they are not made in the image of God! They don't have spirits, or a soul, and they are incapable of inviting Jesus to sit on the throne of their heart ... because they don't have a heart, let alone any ability to "engage in moral or spiritual reflection", as Cheri Givens writes in her astute article on Medium.com.
I think the thing that disturbs me the most is the attempt to minimize the miraculous and divine design of God's creation of man by insinuating that we are merely "advanced biological machines", which leads to drawing a dangerous parallel and connection between man and technological devices. As the advances continue in the abilities of AI to take over [and eventually surpass] man's human abilities to solve the challenges we face [to preserve human life], I fear that we will increasingly undervalue God as the answer to our problems.
And when we attempt to minimize God's blueprint, so to speak, in our bodies by encouraging the merger of man and machine, then we are advocating Transhumanism, the philosophical and intellectual movement that says we can enhance our human condition [and overcome its limitations] by integrating machines into our physical environment. In other words, there is a very real effort to separate humanity from our divine link to our Creator.
And that's a battle that has been waging since the Garden of Eden! Ever since the Fall of Man, Satan has tried to convince us that we don't need God. In fact, he's tried to convince us that we can become our own god and be in control of our own destiny. It's all part of Satan's plan to usurp the government of God's Kingdom on earth in order to establish his own kingdom, based on deception and convincing us that we don't carry a spiritual significance in our relationship with God. But we're not just physical cells, muscles, tissues, and blood. We are made in His image, and we are spirits, as well.
If Satan can keep the culture focused on the intellectual value that AI can bring to humanity, we will neglect [and eventually lose] the spiritual connection to God in favor of greater physical advancements. And it won't take long until we are augmented with computer parts that promise a transformation that unfortunately no longer aligns with God's creation of our bodies or His will for us. We are created to set our minds on spiritual matters, and focus on heavenly things that will lead to lives devoted to God; worshiping and glorifying Him alone. AI and Transhumanism are focused on annulling our covenant and divine relationship with our Creator, and enslaving us to the kingdom of Satan. .
The bottom line is that Satan wants dominion of the earth for himself, establishing his own kingdom populated with beings who invalidate their divine connection to the God of the Universe, in favor of worshiping the deceptions offered by science. He whispers that humanity can "save their lives" by advancing, enhancing, revolutionizing, improving, streamlining, and enriching themselves in the areas of healthcare, environmental conservation, social welfare, education, etc. All we need to do is abdicate our spiritual relationship with the One who created us, and join forces [and our brains] with the machines that will give us all the wisdom and knowledge we need without the need to spend eternity with God.
I know this probably sounds like I've gone over the cliff, but every ounce of my spiritual being is crying out warnings! I fear for our younger generations who have only known the modern age of computers. It has been easy for them to be enticed by Satan's lying whisper ... I can offer you more. The advancements in AI are coming rapidly and deceptively; disguised as progress and growth in the advancement of human potentiality. I'm not denying that we could benefit from some of the developments. But there's danger in the undercurrents of wicked forces who are promoting an anti-God agenda in the mix. Please pray for discernment for our leaders. Pray for Godly men to keep this powerful tool in check. And ask the Holy Spirit to give us the fullness of His work in our lives, so that we might correctly navigate this critical time in the age of Humanity: Give us the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of Wisdom, the Spirit of Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel, the Spirit of Might/Power, the Spirit of Knowledge, and the Spirit of the Fear of the Lord. Amen!
2 Corinthians 7:1 Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life -- a life set apart for God's purpose] in the fear of God.
