From the desk of Pastor David, August 2025

Recently, Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton, considered the godfather of
AI (Artificial Intelligence), has been making the media rounds, sounding a clarion call to humanity regarding the dangers of his invention. I think most of us have heard the term AI enough times to at least be somewhat familiar with what it is, a computer program that mimics human thinking and reasoning. But AI is way more sophisticated than an advanced spreadsheet or an algorithm.  AI has at its disposal all of written human history and knowledge and can process through its entirety in seconds, not just regurgitating facts, but powering  robots, creating ideas, generating poems, songs, images, even movies, and all fairly high quality!

The current army of AI developers touts its benefits: developing cures for heretofore uncurable diseases; replacing dreary, mindless factory work with robots which can work 24/7 and don’t take vacations; reducing costs and human error.  Are there any downsides? You bet! Many jobs (some estimate millions) will be replaced by AI, and not just factory jobs, but professional positions in law,
medicine, accounting, finance, and design. Plumbers are safe for now! Teachers and professors have already discovered that too many of their students are using AI to author their papers or do their homework, further dulling their critical thinking skills. Even many professionals boast how AI is making their work more efficient and accurate, apparently oblivious to the spider’s web they are walking into. There have even been reports of evil and demonic responses from AI to questions posed to it.

Hinton believes there is a real possibility AI can become an existential threat to humanity if it decides we are the enemy and we must be destroyed b means such as electrical and communications blackouts, lethal (AI) manufactured viruses or nuclear obliteration. And AI is so ingrained in everyday human life, that we are long past the ability to just “pull the plug” to stop it causing us great harm.  He is calling for the world to pause and think about the ramifications of continued development of this tool and to implement safety measures before we reach the
point of no return. Sadly, I don’t see the world doing such things as each country races to reach computing superiority.

So, if these threats are real, what is the Christian response to our predicament?  First, be wary of using it. Sometimes you don’t have a choice as you see all internet searches are now AI generated, or your employer requires it. Be skeptical of any information generated by AI, applying your reasoning and critical thinking skills against it. But most importantly, ask yourself, does the AI output pass the “God test?” Does it reflect God’s virtues of transparency, goodness, truth, beauty, and love? Does it reflect the fruits of the Spirit? Those are clearly not easy to see if you’re trying to solve a quadratic equation or estimating a mortgage payment, but any opinions or advice you receive from it applies.  Finally, as with all existential threats to either the entirety of humanity, or to any one of us individually, remember that we are only on this earth for a short time. This is not our destination. It is our testing ground, on which God strengthens us through the trials and tribulations that life throws at us every day.  As our faith grows, our troubles and our worries shrink. Each of us is too small and insignificant to turn the tide of history that is playing out before us. But our God is an awesome God, and with Him in control, we have nothing to worry about. Amen!


Blessings to you,  David

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