Life Matters - May 3, 2023
Of all the demonic demands that have historically been made by false gods and their priests, the god of AI may yet prove to be the most exacting, the most demanding of all. As its precepts, whether overt or covert, overtake the atheist and the wavering, our Lord Jesus Christ is and will still be calling all who turn to Him in faith to be the salt of the earth, to shine light into the darkness and together be as a city set on a hill that cannot be hid. (Matthew 5:14) Salt does a lot of good in this world as it enhances flavors in our food, it works as a food preservative, and in many ways makes our lives more pleasant, even possible. I’m told the gastric juice breaking down and making our food more digestible is 0.6 percent hydrochloric acid, the source of the chloride being sodium chloride, information I found in the salt section of Encyclopedia Americana. (The hard-copy version, so yes, it is dependable, thank you.) Wikipedia, I’m told, is becoming corrupted for obvious reasons as anyone can make changes or additions at any time, the idea being to pull together worldwide resources and information, not, of course, taking into consideration the fallen state of mankind always being susceptible to the devil’s lies. Unless and until there is a close connection with Jesus Christ who is the essence of Truth. An essence of Truth that we are always in desperate need of as it is a vital part of the armor we need clad with as we wrestle with enemies of the spirit realm. (Ephesians 6)
While some are lauding the incredible advances of AI as if it were the new answer to overcoming mankind’s limitations, others are sounding the alarm, saying “lies are already being built into it” and decrying it as “misinformation on steroids.” The present administration may well see this as an opportunity to try again the forming of a “misinformation governance board,” a board that was blocked last year: for obvious reasons. It would seem a special kind of stupid to allow any government (and this administration is an object lesson on why) to be the arbiter of Truth. We may be more tempted to allow it if this administration were trustworthy, but it has proven itself many times over to not be. But even if it were, what about the next one? God still says, “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm ...” (Jeremiah 17:5) We need always look to God for the arbitration of Truth; He is the very essence of Truth.
My imagination doth run and I endeavor to keep it from running wild. By asking God to protect His people, the universal church, the body of Christ including myself and family. But we can’t say we weren't warned. Elon Musk, one of AI’s initial developers and being in a position to know, has been warning us for going on several years now saying that, “With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon;” that, “AI is more dangerous than nuclear” and now warning that, “AI has the potential of civilizational destruction.” The time may come, however, when we won’t be able to tell if its Elon Musk or whoever else talking or some digital clone look-alike with a cloned-in voice. The potential for mistrust, not knowing who or what to trust, is indeed staggering.
Trust. Do we even have a clue how much we depend on the attributes encapsulated in that one little word? “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5) may well take on a deeper level of meaning as Truth continues to be a plumb-line exposing the crooked compared to the straight in a world determined that the unreal is real, that the crooked is straight, and that lies are in fact Truth. That good is evil and evil is good.
Truth. Truth is an ever inescapable precursor, an absolute must, if we are to Trust. As is being honest with Truth even when it hurts, as it does at times. Drawing nigh to God exposes painful things about ourselves as the need calls for it, but beyond that cross shines the glorious light of the Gospel. Jesus Lives!
Life Matters!