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“I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy.” Isaiah 54:16.
In June of 2023, hundreds of worshippers packed into St. Paul’s Church in Bavaria to experience a new kind of church. This was a first. This congregation watched as an avatar of a man with a beard appeared on the church’s video screen above the altar and began to guide the church through worship: “It is an honor for me to stand here and preach to you as the first artificial intelligence.” The entire service was mostly constructed by AI, including the pastor.
We live in an era of “artificial” intelligence. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a broad field of study within computer science, designing systems that think and act like humans—from playing games to driving vehicles. We recognize that behind many of these questions is a general unease or fear of the unknown. We fear uncertainty. Christians are wrestling with questions about what AI is and how it’ll change life as we know it. Many are asking profound and nuanced questions.
Should we as Christians, be concerned about AI? When Christians view AI solely as a tool, we can consider it how Christians have historically responded to technological development: tools are gifts from God, granted under common grace, to be used for good and wise purposes. If the printing press was a divine gift that accelerated the dissemination of God’s Word and biblical resources, could AI be just another tool? Is AI just another opportunity to be surprised and awestruck by God’s creativity in designing humanity?
AI has been around for a long time. It has a long way to go before it reaches anything close to a general, human-like intelligence, and no matter what, our faith gives us a foundation of hope and security.
God is the ultimate Inventor of everything. He allows men and women to discover what He has already invented. And if you want a verse for that, look at Colossians 1:16: “for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.” Or “God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him” (John 1:3).
Isaiah 54:16 says, “I have created the blacksmith who fans the coals beneath the forge and makes the weapons of destruction. And I have created the armies that destroy.” AI can seem forbidding until we remember that God is in command. God has ordained that technological advancements increase throughout history, and that includes AI. AI technology (along with all other human achievements) doesn’t change God’s plan to glorify Himself in the salvation of sinners.
Discussion Questions:
- Does AI cause you concern? If so, why?
- How should we look at AI?