Artificial Intelligence is discussed everywhere these days; it has both its “boosters” and its “doomers.” Some AI boosters dream of a trans-human utopia that populates the universe.
AI doomers, on the other hand, fear that AI could instead annihilate humanity. A major headline in the Financial Times recently declared, “We must slow down the race to God-like AI.” MIT’s Future of Life Institute called for a six-month pause by all AI labs on developing AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.
I contend that for Christian scholars, the angst over AI offers a golden opportunity.
Arguing From Worldview
Why? Because in many stakeholders’ statements, AI is discussed in a meta-physical way. Neither MIT colleagues at the Future of Life Institute nor Silicon Valley’s tech bosses use arguments of science or technology to debate issues like super-intelligence and potential existential risk. Instead, these colleagues argue purely from worldview, and this opens up for us the possibility to talk about other worldviews—and spirituality as well.
I am immensely grateful to these colleagues for making it plain that their fears concerning the technology is based on their beliefs. Because it enables me to argue with the same confidence out of my very different—my Christian—beliefs. AI voices challenges to our humanity that go to the very core of what it means to be human. Such questions are not answered by technology, or from within computer science (the host discipline of AI).
Lots of Positive Feedback
In my experience, colleagues, students, and the general public are very keen to hear answers to this question that come from a spiritual point of view. Last year, my department hosted a seminar by Graham Budd, of the Cambridge-based Faraday Institute for Science and Religion on the topic, “What kind of future do we want for humanity in a world of super-intelligent AI?”
It was one of the best-attended seminars in the history of our colloquium. Though Dr. Budd brought a decidedly Christian view to the topic, there was ample discussion and lots of positive feedback from my non-religious colleagues.
The AI trend offers believers a unique opportunity: to review publicly what makes us truly human, and to share arguments born out of our faith.
Here in Europe, people are so unchurched that they actually appreciate this information. It is totally new to them, and it’s received positively, with a “thank you.” I have never seen this response before.
So Many Opportunities
To give a conversation about AI a spiritual twist, I would ask whether the person I was dialoging with believed that humans are a mere computation (an idea held by some AI proponents but highly contested by others). After listening to their response, I would introduce the Christian idea of spirit. I would suggest that the core of human being is relational (there is so much evidence for that in so many different disciplines of science), and how that can stem from us being made in the image of a relational God. Or I would discuss hope. Or the good life. There are so many opportunities.
I offer to you an exhortation to redeem the time, because there exists a moment now to talk about spiritual matters with students, faculty members, and the general public like there has not been since perhaps the days of C.S. Lewis.
I urge you to take the initiative and speak up boldly—because you have been given your position “for such a time as this.”
