Artificial Intelligence

“The LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6 NASB).

Science fiction at the beginning of the twentieth century created a fascination with artificially intelligent robots. As computer technology advanced, the term artificial intelligence (AI) appeared in 1956 from the pen of American computer scientist John McCarthy, who defined it as “getting a computer to do things which, when done by people, are said to involve intelligence.” Today AI has become a catchall term for applications that perform complex tasks that once required human input, such as communicating with customers online or playing chess. In everyday life, it can be everything from a vacuum cleaner that roams your house sweeping up dirt, to self-parking and self-driving cars. In the computer world, specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language processing, speech and facial recognition.

From the late 1950s to the early 1970s, machine-learning algorithms (a static list set of instructions, used to solve problems or perform tasks, based on the input of expected data) improved and users got more proficient in applying them. Smartphones, navigation systems, travel, text editing, search engines, digital assistants and self-driving cars have taken much of the world to a new level of AI. IBM recently announced that it will eliminate nearly one-third of 26,000 employees who have no contact with customers, replacing them with applications of AI. Security analysts now project the AI market to grow 54 percent annually.

When the Writers Guild of America went on strike in April, 2023, a significant demand was for studios to limit the use of artificial intelligence for creating, writing and rewriting TV and movie material. In 2022, the release of ChatGPT, a natural language processing tool that allows human-like conversations, brought AI to a new level of controversy. As soon as it was released, hackers tried to override its safeguards. NewsGuard, a watchdog organization, found that 80 percent of the time when fed recognized misinformation, it produced errored results. Thus a major danger of AI is not recognizing bad information. (This what tripped up Eve). The maker, OpenAI, along with Google and Microsoft, now coordinate with government agencies to determine limits for its use. A recent Associated Press article summed it up this way: chatbots have a “tendency to fabricate information and confidently present it as fact.” This may be another way for Satan to mislead the human family once it begins to trust AI.

Nothing to Fear?

Research analyst Josh Bersin answered the question, “Why are people afraid of AI?” in an April article. “People worry that AI systems will result in unfair incarceration, spam and misinformation, cyber- security catastrophes, and eventually a ‘smart and planning’ AI that will take over power plants, information systems, hospitals, and other institutions.” Many computer scientists claim that AI cannot replace human problem-solving skills, while others express concern that especially in the area of human health and well-being, AI poses a threat to human interpretation of determinants of health (bmj.com).

Investors quick to jump on new technology, continue to pour money into AI. The Wall Street Journal published stock performance in May that showed AI stocks had driven all the gains in the Standard and Poor’s 500 for 2023 through the first part of May.

A new area called generative AI, is in its early days, but promises a form of artificial intelligence that can “think” of original ideas in the form of text, video or other media. New models can be “trained” on billions of pages of text and can track the connections between words across pages, chapters and books rather than just in individual sentences. Known as Transformers, they can also track connections to analyze code, proteins, chemicals and DNA. Some engineers and computer scientists believe that advancements in AI technology like these will eventually solve the problem of death. David Pearce, co- founder of an organization called Humanity+ wrote, ”If we want to live in paradise, we will have to engineer it ourselves. If we want eternal life, then we’ll need to rewrite our bug-ridden genetic code and become god-like … only hi-tech solutions can ever eradicate suffering from the living world. Author Ray Kurzweil wrote in The Age of Spiritual Machines, that within the present century, man will be able to upload his brain into a computer and live forever in a virtual environment, free from the limitation of mortal bodies.

AI, Man, and God

“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion … And God created the man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them” (Genesis 1:26, 27 RVIC).

God asked Job a difficult question: “Who has put wisdom in the inward parts? or who has given understanding to the heart?” (Job 38:36 AV). Man is able to reason, at least to a degree, from the known to the unknown. He knows that some things are right and other things are wrong. He has a conscience that is pricked when he does wrong and affords peace of mind when he does right. While we do not know what role the advancement of technology will play in the Millennial Kingdom, we can say that only man bears the image of God. It is certain that no artificial intelligence can redeem man from sin, nor eradicate the effects of it. Whatever means God will use in teaching and judging the resurrected billions, only He can grant everlasting or eternal life as a reward for learning the way of righteousness (Isaiah 26:9).

Obedience to divine law is essential for God’s intelligent creatures, but obedience must be given freely. Adam and Eve were not machines, but intelligent creatures, made in the image of God. It was contrary to the Creator’s design to coerce humans into obeying His law. He desires them to obey of their own choice (Genesis 1:27-30). In exercising this God-given freedom, when presented with Satan’s temptation, they chose a path contrary to God’s instructions. They brought the penalty of death as they were forewarned.

“Thou shall surely begin to die,” God had said to Adam. (Genesis 2:17 RVIC) The Apostle Paul wrote that “through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners,” and also that “in Adam all die.” (Romans 5:19; I Corinthians 15:22 NASB) Thus was death introduced to the human experience. By inheritance, death passed from one generation to another, and with it, all the sickness and pain that ultimately leads to the grave. No form of artificial intelligence can ever reverse the effects of disobedience and death.

God permitted sin to enter the world so that humanity might learn by experience the terrible results. “Then … God said, ‘Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil’” (Genesis 3:22 NASB). The “us” here is the same as in Genesis 1:26, Jehovah and the Logos, or “Word,” who cooperated with his Heavenly Father in all the creative work. (John 1:3). It was the Logos who gave up the heavenly realm to be born as Jesus, the world’s redeemer (Philippians 2:5-8).

Adam’s entire posterity was condemned when he sinned. Jesus, who had the potential for generating his own perfect race, instead died in Adam’s place as a corresponding price (1 Timothy 2:5-6). Through his death, Jesus purchased the entire human race with full authority to raise them from their graves and instruct them in righteousness, with a promise of restoring them to everlasting life (John 5:28, 29). During this Gospel Age, only a few have accepted the Redeemer and grasped the promise of divine life on a spirit plane through a “new and living way” (Hebrews 10:19-21). During the Millennial Age, under the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34), the remainder of mankind will learn of the true purpose of God and be given an opportunity to follow Jesus on the road to eternal life. “There will be a path and a road there; it will be called the ‘Road of Holiness’ and no impure person will traverse it. It will be for them; the wayfarer, even ignorant ones, will not go astray there” (Isaiah 35:8, TANACH). As we consider the marvelous works of man today, let us ever remember that only Jehovah God can and has the power to bring everlasting life and joy to the world (Isaiah 51:11).