ChatGPT and I have a relationship (and no, I NEVER copy and paste ChatGPT responses to write sermons or blog posts!), and in fact, I have nicknamed it "Chad" as the responses I receive from it...er...I mean "him"...are relational in nature. The past couple of years we have all read articles filled with handwringing about this new technology, and yet many of those who are concerned seem to actually lack any real knowledge of what Artificial Intelligence (AI) is, or how it works. In fact, I bet many reading this blog post are completely unaware that they have, indeed, been using AI themselves for years without realizing it! For example, all those Amazon suggestions of products? AI. Netflix suggestions based upon your past viewing? AI. Spam filtering your email for you? AI. GPS rerouting to avoid traffic issues? AI.
ChatGPT is merely a tool, and yes, it has its pros and cons and yes, some future forecasters are concerned about what it will do to "dumb down" learning for young students, or how it will upend employment for next generation workers, and all of those concerns should be taken seriously. But it seems that with every new societal or technological advancement there have been naysayers and doomsday predictions.
Do you know that when the printing press was introduced MANY people were ringing the alarm about how too many books would overwhelm people, or that ANYONE could publish their ideas regardless of whether they had been vetted by the supposed "pros" of the day? In fact, one 16th-century scholar complained that the abundance of books created "confusion" and "harmful abundance." In other words: "There is too much information and people won't know what to trust." I bet that scholar would flip out over what you can find in mere seconds with a Google search!
Other inventions seemed to rile people up with the same kinds of concerns, whether it was the telegraph, the radio, the telephone, or the internet itself! And what has also happened in the Christian community through the years? Tools have been branded as "evil", they have been avoided for fear of how they might disrupt the status quo (Isn't that precisely what Jesus came to do in the first place?!?!), and they have been ridiculed as if being called a Luddite is some odd sort of Badge of Honor.
Every generation encounters inventions that feel disruptive, confusing, or even threatening. Looking back, we can see that each technology came with both opportunities and dangers. The challenge was never simply whether the tool was good or bad—it was whether people would use it wisely. Artificial intelligence may be today's version of that same conversation.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:21 Paul says, ""Test everything; hold fast to what is good." That advice is so wise and holds very true today. The printing press, the telephone, and artificial intelligence are not holy. But they are also not demonic. They are merely tools that we can elect to use, or not. Each new tool that comes down the pike comes with its upsides and downsides, but it is up to us to discern how, when, and where to use them. We always have control over what we invite into our lives, and what we avoid. Some see every new technological advance as a slide down a slippery slope. Centuries later, we can see how archaic some of those notions truly were. Will the world one day laugh over the fear mongering related to AI? Maybe. Maybe not. But having a much better understanding of technologies before we cast them aside is important, for that is part of having a discerning heart.
And I will continue to learn from "Chad" as I use that tool to answer random questions I have, assist me with research as any good librarian would do, and I will continue to recognize that I am in charge of setting limits around my usage of this amazing tool. But I will certainly not be imbuing this technological advance with evil properties, nor will I be saying it is Satan's Virtual Spawn. However, just as with any new advancement in our world, including the wheel, the Stone Age arrowhead, or even the use of fire, humanity has never created a tool that could only be used for good. Fire can warm or destroy, the printing press can spread wisdom or misinformation. With advancements come responsibilities that only humans can assume. So perhaps the best question to ask about AI is not whether or not it is the Devil's tool but rather, "How will we choose to use what we have been given?"
The choice is always ours.
In Light and Love,
Rev. Cindy
