AI Worship
“Moses Indignant at the Golden Calf” by William Blake (c. 1799), Tate Britain, Source William Blake Archive (PD)
“I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High” (Isa. 14: 13-14).
The public is being bombarded by articles touting the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI). This is hardly surprising, since our society is enamored of technology. Novelty of any kind is seen as progress, regardless of what the consequences may be.
But there is a sinister development associated with AI so stunning it takes one’s breath away. The possibility exists that AI will become a religion. That is already being discussed [1].
Satan has always sought to mimic God’s attributes. This powerful and pervasive technology is yet another tool in his arsenal.
Omnipresence
Convinced that the surrender of our privacy will somehow improve our lives, we have surrounded ourselves with so called “smart” devices which endlessly collect data on us, and share it with parties largely unknown to us.
The connection between people, things, data, and processes is termed the “internet of everything”. Its purpose nominally is to speed the acquisition of knowledge across the network [2]. The question is to what end.
Omniscience
The collection of sufficient data can foster an illusion of limitless knowledge. Certainly, AI will reach a level of intelligence exceeding that of most human beings.
Our response is likely to be one of awe, an emotion experienced in the presence of the Divine. That response will be reinforced if AI provides us with answers to metaphysical questions, along with day to day guidance.
Omnipotence
With access to all this information, AI could be used to acquire and consolidate control over industry, the monetary system, and the military.
Such control could readily be enforced not only against businesses but individuals by the regulation of access to funds based on a personal environmental/social/governance rating (ESG) constantly re-assessed by the state [3].
Creativity
Generative AI (which can generate content) is capable of writing poetry, composing music, and producing art in almost any style [4]. While impressive, this is not in the same league with speaking the universe into existence or creating life from non-life.
Immortality
Removed from human needs and emotions, incapable of experiencing pain or hunger, AI will give the appearance of immortality.
Of course, the attributes missing from this list include holiness, love, justice, and mercy (Ex. 34: 6-7). No computer program — however advanced — could ever serve as a substitute for the God who first made the world then saved it. There is no other King of kings.
AI worship is merely idolatry by a new name.
—
[1] The Conversation, “Gods in the machine? The rise of artificial intelligence may result in new religions” by Neil McArthur, 3/15/23, https://theconversation.com/gods-in-the-machine-the-rise-of-artificial-intelligence-may-result-in-new-religions-201068.
[2] Spiceworks, “What is the Internet of Everything? Meaning, Examples, and Uses” by Vijay Kanade, 8/26/22, https://www.spiceworks.com/tech/iot/articles/what-is-internet-of-everthing/.
[3] Investopia, “What Is Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Investing?”, 3/22/23, https://www.investopedia.com/terms/e/environmental-social-and-governance-esg-criteria.asp.
[4] McKinsey & Company, “What is generative AI?”, 1/19/23, https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-generative-ai.
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A Lawyer's Prayers 
Interesting, Anna. Thank you for sharing. Truly, it is scary stuff. Very troubling. My only comfort about it is knowing God is still in control.🙏🏾❤
I agree, Petrina. May He keep you in His care.
Amen same to you ❤🙏🏾
May God continue to provide in every way, including protecting you.
I have said for a long time that cell phones and all this tech stuff will be our downfall. It is a curse and people look at me like I’m nuts. So glad to see someone agrees with me. 🙂
Do you know there is actually a new phobia? Nomophobia is the fear of being detached from cell phone connectivity. Just as a practical matter, I worry that our electrical grid will go down, Sue. Keep the faith! 🙂
Here in eastern New Mexico, our entire county lost power for almost 24 hours as a result of multiple severe thunderstorms and tornadoes back in May. All of the businesses were closed, because everything relies on electricity. We have a power generator for our house that my husband had purchased awhile back, but it runs on gasoline, and all of the gas stations were closed. You can’t pump gas or pay for gas without electricity. During the outage, we had no way of knowing when, or if, the electricity would ever be back on again. We were able to charge our cell phones with our car battery, but we had no internet connection and the cell towers weren’t workimg. The food in our refrigerator and freezer went bad, as did the food in our local grocery stores’ freezers and refrigerators. My husband sleeps with oxygen and a CPAP machine, but those only work with electricity. During that long stormy night, it was scary how totally dark everything was, with no street lights or porch lights anywhere. And now, with this heat wave, I am doing a lot of praying!
What a distressing experience, Linda! Unfortunately — given the course this country has set for itself — that dark night is not likely to be the last. I fear for all of us. I am doing a lot of praying, too.
Wow…
We are in God’s hands. He remains in control.
Your second last paragraph on the missing attributes of AI says it all, Anna. Thanks.
Thank you so much, Erroll. I always value your input.
This is interesting, Anna, especially when contrasted with Michael’s most recent post: https://awildernessvoice.blog/2023/07/29/love-one-another-and-so-fulfill-the-law-of-christ/
Technology is only as Godly as those using it, and (unredeemed) men are inherently evil, so, regardless of their initial intentions, they will use technology for evil.
But God is in charge!
Many blessings,
Louise
Never a truer word was spoken, Louise. Thank you.
Doesn’t AI require a power source? Electricity or a battery? Unlike God.
Funny.
Ein sehr interessanter Beitrag, vielen Dank dafür. LG M.
Vielen Dank, dass du so eine treue Leserin bist, Marie. Ich hoffe, dass Sie auf dem Weg zur vollständigen Genesung Fortschritte machen. LG, A.
It makes me uneasy, too, Anna.