Should We Fear Artificial Intelligence?
By: Brad Huddleston
What scares you?
For me, it’s two things: snakes and artificial intelligence. I should clarify that I’m not the least bit afraid of chatbots, movies about robots waging war against humans, and virtual assistants. However, the potential for AI to do evil is alarming.
You might remember the news last year scaring us with headlines such as “Elon Musk Joins Hundreds Calling for a Six-Month Pause on [Artificial Intelligence] Development in an Open Letter.”
And, as it turns out, what we don’t know about AI can hurt us. And that’s scary. For a second time, Big Tech CEOs like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Bill Gates, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg recently met with over 60 senators in a closed-door meeting. They discussed the importance of regulating artificial intelligence.
A closed-door meeting? What are they afraid of? As is the case for most things, however, the US government is the last place I would turn to for help. Now that scares me.
In an interview with the news site Axios after the meeting, Senator Chuck Schumer said, “This is one of the most difficult issues Congress can ever deal with — it’s so complicated, even [former Google CEO] Eric Schmit said he doesn’t understand the algorithms.” It’s not hyperbole to say the world’s future is uncertain. The tech titans know it, and they tremble.
Soon after, the fear was compounded when the Godfather of AI, Geoffrey Hinton, resigned from Google to speak openly about the dangers of artificial intelligence and said that “a part of him…now regrets his life’s work.” To be fair, Hinton is also trying to solve the dangers. He’s been promoting an analog approach to computing with AI which he says is safer than the digital method.
Hinton is well-intentioned, but Wired Magazine summed up the pitfalls of such an approach:
The chances seem slim that the Big Tech companies racing to smarten up their chatbots will embrace this techno-veganism approach to AI. Competition is intense, and the rewards for producing the most powerful bots are astronomical.
So, should Christians fear artificial intelligence? Well, yes, and no.
It would be unwise to ignore the real dangers coming upon the earth. At the same time, Christians have a wonderful antidote. In Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV) it says, “fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you.” And, 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV), “for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Clearly, God is instructing us not to live our lives in fear and terror. Our heavenly Father wants us to sleep soundly knowing that He’s got the whole world in His hands.
Regarding artificial intelligence, it would be better to say that we should be concerned—and seek to be like the children of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32 (NKJV) “who had understanding of the times.” We don’t want to be caught flatfooted should the fears of the tech titans be realized. We should be prudent and practical like Joseph and store necessary items should there be a severe disruption. At the same time, we should not have a bunker mentality. After making some common-sense preparations, we commit what we don’t know to God and live our lives as usual, in peace, “doing business till I come.” (Luke 19:13 NKJV)
People often ask me if artificial intelligence is ultimately part of the antichrist’s plans to control people. I suspect so, but the honest answer is no one, not even your favorite prophecy teacher, really knows.
What we should be most concerned about is advancing His kingdom and spreading the gospel of peace.
John 14:27 (NKJV) “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
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