A FEW YEARS AGO, one of my former high school students, Emilee, enrolled in a large state university in the Midwest. On the first day of English class, the professor told the students that within the next few decades, robots were likely going to overtake human beings in their intelligence and capabilities. He expressed hope (and concern) that these robots would care for their lesser evolved human neighbors: us.
Curious as to how this might happen, Emilee posed a thoughtful question for the professor: “How can a physical object such as a robot ever become self-conscious?” Without missing a beat, the professor shot back, “Do you actually believe in the reality of the soul?” When she said yes, the entire class laughed at her.
Emilee experienced a clash of worldviews. Her professor and many of her fellow students were naturalists and thus believed that human beings had emerged through an unguided, purposeless evolutionary process. In this view, humans are basically complex biological machines. If so, it would seem possible that robots could come to think someday. If we live in a naturalistic universe and humans are the highest form of evolution, then why can’t scientists build robots that mimic the human brain? Within this worldview, that seems reasonable.
But what if the professor is wrong about the nature of reality? What if we live in a universe and things like God, angels, and heaven are real? What if a human being is both body and soul, as the Bible teaches?supernatural[1] If so, then robots will continue to develop the capacity to perform remarkable functions, but they will never be able to think. They can execute processes that mimic human thinking, but they will never be conscious. In fact, if thinking requires a soul, then trying to build a conscious robot is as fruitless as trying to turn lead into gold. Given the nature of reality, it can’t happen.
Science Fiction and Artificial Intelligence
When I mention artificial intelligence (AI) to my students, they typically think of movies like The Terminator or I, Robot, in which robots somehow develop consciousness and enslave humanity. But this is only one small part of the equation. Even if robots don’t take over the world—not holding my breath!—AI affects our lives right now and is increasingly shaping the world around us.
AI systems enable self-driving cars, are used by businesses to sort through job applicants, help diagnose sicknesses and perform surgeries, are used in warfare, and execute a range of other tasks. Consider a few that likely influence you right now:
It is tempting to think that we autonomously choose which products to buy, social media platforms to engage, or movies to watch. But did you know that 80 percent of TV shows and movies people watch on Netflix are discovered through the recommendation system?[4] When you sit down to watch a show on Netflix, your choices are undoubtedly influenced by an algorithm that has configured a pool of options tailored to your tastes.
Are these AI systems bad? Not necessarily. When looking for an action movie, I don’t want to wade through a bunch of romance films (unless my wife is with me, of course). You may have different tastes, but you probably appreciate Amazon suggesting products that interest you. Technology can be good, but we also have to be wise and discerning about how companies attempt to manipulate us.
And some artificial intelligence systems are much more nefarious. Consider social media bots,[5] programs designed to do various tasks as if they were human. While they can be used to encourage civic engagement (such as voting), they can also be programmed to spread hate speech, manipulate elections, and attempt to sway public opinion. Because they appear human, these kinds of AI programs require much more of our wisdom to identity.
Avoiding Two Big Temptations
With the increasing technology of AI, there are two temptations we must avoid.
The Temptation to Act Like God
While my kids grew up watching Marvel and DC superhero movies, I grew up watching the original Star Wars films. One of the scenes that captured my imagination was when Luke Skywalker got a robotic hand to replace the real one Darth Vader cut off in battle. While this technology was science fiction in the early 1980s, now AI is being used to allow amputees or people born with disabilities to control prosthetic limbs through their thoughts. That’s right: their thoughts. Some of these prosthetic limbs are even stronger and more resilient than flesh-and-blood limbs.
This is truly astonishing technology that will improve the lives of countless people. But it also raises some thorny questions: Is there a difference between fixing a problem (such as a lost limb) and enhancing our bodies beyond their natural limits? How far can we take this? Will such technology turn people into “machines” that can be manipulated for some benefit? Will it favor the rich who can afford such enhancements and create more of a disparity between the haves and the have-nots?
This same kind of temptation has existed since the dawn of civilization. Even though their technology was considerably less modern—brick and stone—people built the Tower of Babel to reach the heavens and make a name for themselves (see Genesis 11:1-9). They used their existing technology to be gods over the world around them.
Part of the drive to develop AI technology is to help counter the effects of the Fall. Helping people who are hurting is good! But much is also driven by the desire for power, fame, and control. We are afraid of suffering. We are afraid of losing control. We are afraid of death. So we use technology to fight against our fears and delay the inevitable. We use technology to be gods ourselves.
Technology can be wonderful. But we must learn from the people at the Tower of Babel and resist the temptation to use it as a substitute for trusting God.
The Temptation to Replace Relationships
The futurist movie Her is about a middle-aged man, Theodore, who “dates” an operating system named Samantha. Theodore is intrigued by her ability to grow and learn, and they bond over discussions about life and relationships.
What would motivate someone to “date” an artificially intelligent computer program? The movie is science fiction, of course. But to make it believable, Theodore is depressed and lonely because of a pending divorce from his high school sweetheart. The movie works for two reasons. First, we see his desperation for connection, even if that means settling for something artificial. And second, we each face the temptation today to avoid the hard work of real relationships and to settle for a counterfeit.
How so? Many people settle for the false intimacy of porn rather than doing the hard work of building real relationships. Many build false social media images to cover up the hurt in their lives. Many people get lost in their social media feed rather than connecting with those physically around them.
Technology can be a great way to foster healthy relationships, but it can never replace them. A digital “like” cannot replace a physical hug. Staring at a screen cannot replace staring into another person’s eyes. Meaningful relationships require honesty, commitment, and presence. We must not allow the lure of technology to replace the deep yearning of our hearts. Only relationships with God and other people can do that.
What Christians Can Do
Here are two important steps for how Christians can respond to our increasingly digital world:
[1] There is good evidence to believe the soul is real. It makes sense of things like near-death experiences, our capacity to make choices, and the difference between mental and physical states. See the Dr. Sean McDowell YouTube channel: “What Is the Evidence for the Soul? A Conversation with J. P. Moreland,” June 17, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oD7OCHl1odA.
[2] Josefina Blattmann, “Netflix: Binging on the Algorithm,” UX Planet, August 2, 2018, https://uxplanet.org/netflix-binging-on-the-algorithm-a3a74a6c1f59.
[3] Jason Thacker, The Age of AI: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020), 109.
[4] Thacker, The Age of AI, 109.
[5] Homeland Security, “Social Media Bots Overview,” May 2018, https://niccs.us-cert.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/ncsam_socialmediabotsoverview_508.pdf?trackDocs=ncsam_socialmediabotsoverview_508.pdf.