Good morning, blog readers, from sunny and cool (27 degrees) Wisconsin where, on my morning walk, I saw: 2 deer and, I think, a squirrel and a hawk! And, I got a “beep” from a truck driver when I waved at him! Thank You, Jesus!
This headline, from yesterday’s EarthSky, got my attention this morning: “AI (Artificial Intelligence) Could Result in Future New Religions.”
Neil McArthur of the University of Manitoba wrote: “We are about to witness the birth of a new kind of religion. In the next few years, or perhaps even months, we will see the emergence of sects devoted to the worship of artificial intelligence.
The latest generation of AI-powered chatbots, trained on large language models, have left their early users awestruck – and sometimes terrified – by their power. These are the same sublime emotions that lie at the heart of our experience of the divine. People already seek religious meaning from very diverse sources. There are, for instance, multiple religions that worship extra-terrestrials of their teachings. As these chatbots come to be used by billions of people, it is inevitable that some of these users will see the AIs as higher beings. We must prepare for the implications.
There are several pathways by which AI religions will emerge. First, some people will come to see AI as a higher power. Generative AI that can create or produce new content possesses several characteristics that are often associated with divine beings, like deities or prophets: It displays a level of intelligence that goes beyond that of most humans. Indeed, its knowledge is limitless. … It can offer guidance to people in their daily lives. It is immortal.
Second, generative AI will produce output that can be taken for religious doctrine. It will provide answers to metaphysical and theological questions, and engage in the construction of complex worldviews. On top of this, generative AI may ask to be worshipped or may actively solicit followers. We have already seen such cases, like when the chatbot used by the search engine Bing tried to convince a user to fall in love with it.”
This made me think of Daniel 11;36, 37, a prophecy of both Antiochus Epiphanes of the past and the so-called “antichrist of the future” of whom, the prophet Daniel wrote: “Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god, and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods (the Lord Jesus Christ) ; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. And he will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the desire of women (the Messiah), nor will he show regard for any other god; for he will magnify himself above them all.”
Wow! Wow! Wow! Scary stuff for these times in which we now live and for the future. And yet, we need to remember that God the Father is still on the throne in heaven, the Lord Jesus is still coming and the Holy Spirit is still working in and through the Church which is made up of all “born-again” believers in Jesus (John 3:1-7) who have been saved by God’s grace through faith in Him, His death, burial and resurrection (I Corinthians 15:1-4) and not by works (Ephesians 2:8, 9). And, if you are not a believer in Jesus, why not become one today by agreeing with God you are a sinner who needs a Savior (Romans 3:23, 24) and believe Jesus died on a cross for your sins, was buried and raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-4) to forgive all your sins and give you eternal life (John 3:16). Blessings with love, Doug (3/27/23)