A.I. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Artificial intelligence is an interesting little thing, isn't it? I know I've written about it some, but the truth is, I think there's a lot that can be said about it moving forward.

Having just had a conversation with "Alexa", resulting in me ordering something online, this topic is fresh in my mind.

I think it shows me the current strange mix of the good and bad of A.I.

Being able to ask a very disjointed question, and getting a coherent response, leading me to purchase something useful, is a helpful tool.

I very easily could've gone on my computer or phone and looked all of that up myself, but it wasn't something vastly important, and it all was somewhat of a lark.

But what happens when we give up more and more of our thinking? Maybe the suggestion it gave me was wrong or incomplete. Would I know the difference? How soon before those legitimate "conversations" turn into more conversations, more personal, more, I don't know, friend-like? How soon before we start to rely more on our artificial "friends" than our own flesh and blood neighbors?

Are we as a people really able to balance all of this? In a sin-prone world I highly doubt it.

What can we do though?

I think firstly is recognize the reality of it. It isn't going anywhere, so we have no choice. But as Christians, we need to be on the frontlines of this. We need to admit just how bad this can go. And no I'm not talking about time traveling robots or giant machines that keep us in a virtual world unknowingly (though, let's face it, it's not that far from the truth).

I'm talking about human-A.I relationships, or worshipping A.I. made religions an deities. Mixing robotics with our own bodies in strange ways. I can see turning all of our thinking over to this technology. I see artificial intelligence and robotic rights as a concern much sooner than later. People without a Biblical worldview could very easily start to see these as being sentient, as having the same rights as people. Are we willing to admit that this is all very likely?

And what should we do about it?

Trashing the technology isn't an option, it's here. But informing ourselves and our families, raising our kids to know the truth of God's Word, to know that we are the pinnacle of God's creation, not some technology, these are starting points. Monitoring our own use of it, putting up safeguards, is another. Understanding how it works (I admit, I definitely don't fully understand it at all) can help us to predict and counter its wrong uses. Speaking gospel truth is the ultimate safeguard.

Because the reality is, it really can be a helpful tool. But we need wisdom, discernment, and foresight, as we navigate this very strange chapter of history.

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