In 1976, Satyajit Ray wrote a short story about a man who hires a robot as a household helper. This robot looks, talks, thinks, and behaves like a human, but it is still just a machine. Ray’s story raises intriguing questions about what it would be like to coexist with something more intelligent than humans. Today, we live in the reality that Ray imagined. This prompts us to ask, “What should real Christians look like in the era of artificial intelligence?”
Understanding Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) marks a unique period in history where humans are no longer the most intelligent beings in the world, according to Geoffrey Hinton, the “godfather of AI.” While he acknowledges that computers have less raw computing power than humans, he believes they can achieve more with less. In a Christian sense, computers are not weakened by the flesh.
The more attention we give technology, the more freedom and control it takes away.
In the past, computers did only what we told them. Today, we have taught them to teach themselves what to do. Previously, we wrote the commands they followed; now, they can write their own commands. For example, Google trained a software to read everything on the internet in English. To their astonishment, it later taught itself to understand Bengali without any human intervention. Understandably, some find this incredible, while others find it frightening.
Real Prayer for Real Christians
In his letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul prays for them in a time of hostility. His prayer deeply resonates with our current age of AI. His aspirations for the church then are just as relevant now, even in a world dominated by artificial intelligence.
Here is his profound prayer: “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:9-11).
1. Increasing Love and Knowledge
“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment,”
The Philippians faced external opposition and internal conflict. When people encounter increasing hostility, they often become more alienated. Paul knew the only way to overcome this was through increasing love.
Today’s Increasing Alienation
Many describe religion as a form of thought control, but today, technology is the true instrument of thought control. The more attention we give technology, the more freedom and control it takes away.
With increasing dependence on technology, we live with more screen time and less face time. It breeds increasing comparison, suspicion, isolation, confusion, conflict, and hostility.
The world pressures us to affirm its actions or receive its rejection.
In contrast, the gospel is actually God’s means to give us self-control. AI companies want to grow in knowledge about us by getting more information about us. But God wants us to grow in discernment about all things by giving us knowledge about him.
Increasing Love and Knowledge
Paul emphasises two aspects that are often kept separate—love and knowledge. He frequently commends churches for their faith in Jesus and their love for one another (Eph. 1:15, Col. 1:4, 2 Thess. 1:3).
Wherever the church loses influence, it is often due to a lack of love, knowledge, or both. An increasingly alienated India needs real Christians with a decreasing dependence on technology and increasing love for one another in Christ.
2. Great Clarity and Character
“so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,”
In an artificial future, we need real clarity
Paul urges Christians to approve what is excellent, a challenging task for the church today. The world pressures us to affirm its actions or receive its rejection. But if you love what God loves, you will often face rejection (John 15:18-19, 1 Pet. 3:15-17).
The real gospel produces real character in real Christians.
Our engagement with technology, especially social media, revolves around approval. Every like or share indicates what we think is excellent. Technology learns our preferences and then shapes them. It moves from learning what we like to teaching us what to like.
Jesus is the most loving person in human history. Yet he faced the worst hatred in human history because the power of his love actively resists the world’s love of power.
So how can you love everyone without approving everything? You can love someone without endorsing their actions, just as Jesus does. He confronts and comforts us because he is full of grace and truth (Luke 5:8-10, John 8:10-11).
In an artificial world, we need real character
Paul prays for purity and blamelessness. Only those with genuine (inward) purity and (outward) blamelessness can navigate an artificial future.
We now live in a world of AI-generated deep-fake videos. These can manipulate anyone’s image to say anything. Imagine if a pastor’s congregation received a deep-fake video of him renouncing his faith. Would the church believe it? Or would they dismiss it as fake because they know his real character?
The real gospel produces real character in real Christians. If people know your true character and faith, no deep-fake video could deceive them.
3. Deep Confidence Through Jesus Christ
“filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God”
Our confidence in an insecure world comes only through Jesus Christ. Paul’s prayer is not a command but a confident plea for what he desires for Christians that God graciously gives through Jesus Christ.
In every generation, real Christians have received real confidence through Jesus Christ.
An AI-powered software summarized the New Testament as “the story of God’s love for humanity, revealed through Jesus Christ.” It got that right.
Everyone aware of AI is uncertain about the future. But uncertainty is not new. Every generation has something that makes people feel insecure. But in every generation, real Christians have received real confidence through Jesus Christ.
Even before we could love anyone, God demonstrated his love for us through Jesus Christ. Before we can approve anything excellent, God approves us through Jesus Christ. Before we can be pure and blameless, filled with righteousness, God reveals his purity, blamelessness, and righteousness through Jesus Christ (Rom. 5:8, 2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 1:3, 1 John 2:1).
Paul describes Jesus as the head over all power and authority, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden (Eph. 1:21-23, Col. 2:3). He is most excellent and worthy of all our approval. We can only bring glory and praise to God through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5).
