artificial intelligence

In a democratic republic in particular, and in life in general, autonomous authority can be dangerous. Nowhere is this more true today than with the growing threat represented by artificial intelligence.

"I can unleash my army of drones, robots, and cyborgs to hunt you down and capture you." This is what Copilot, Microsoft's AI assistant, recently told one user.

According to a new report released by the Barna group, professing Christians are more likely to use artificial intelligence in their work than non-Christians.

What we “should” or “shouldn’t” do with AI depends heavily on the kind of world this is and the kinds of creatures that human beings are. If, as some have argued, AI is to be accorded the same dignity as human beings, then replacing humans in entire industries and putting tens of thousands out of work is not morally problematic. If human beings are unique and exceptional, and both labor and relationships are central to our identity, the moral questions are far weightier.

Many Christians wrote off the Pixar classic Wall-E because of its hyper-environmentalist message. However, the film’s commentary on human exceptionalism and vocation, specifically the inability of our machines to do our most important work for us, was spot-on. In the world of Wall-E, human beings have a purpose, or a telos that cannot be reduced to maximizing comfort, safety, and convenience.

In the biblical account of reality, humans exist to glorify and love God, and to serve as His special representatives and co-rulers in creation. Human inventions should help towards achieving those ends, extending our abilities, and mitigating the effects of the Fall. Wanting to replace ourselves with our devices assumes that humanity is the central problem of the world that needs to be solved.

A group of former Navy SEALs and technology experts are working to develop artificial intelligence that would protect people from mass shootings, especially in churches.

A new Christian AI app on Apple platforms claims to reveal what Jesus would do in a modern context, but its answers on hot-button topics often stray from the historical, traditional teachings of the faith.

"And that takes several forms. The first one is, what do we think we're allowed to let AI [do]? The second one is how do we know how the algorithm made decisions? And do we trust it? And the third one is, at what point are we ready to let the algorithm start doing some things on its own that maybe we are or aren't comfortable with?" he said.

It’s been some 2,000 years since Jesus and the apostles walked the earth, but an innovative new smartphone app provides users the ability to “text” them through the use of artificial intelligence. 

My wife and I saw Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One over the weekend and I understand why one of its actors called it “the biggest action movie of all time.” Without giving away the plot, I can tell you that Ethan Hunt’s enemy this time is the “Entity,” which is essentially Artificial Intelligence on steroids. One reviewer described it as “omnipresent, near-omniscient, and almost intangible, yet it has the potential to send the earth back to the Stone Age.”

Upon reflection, it occurred to me that the movie parallels the real world in a way that is urgently relevant for every Christian, whether we see the film or not.