“No one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name” (Revelation 13:17 NKJV).
Technology is the application of knowledge for the practical implementation of God’s command, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28).
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is technology.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the capability of computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem/solving, perception, and decision-making.
If humanity succeeds in its stewardship of the earth, then the Almighty will receive the glory. “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created” (Revelation 4:11).
If humanity fails in its Original Commission, then the Man of Sin will be worshipped in the place of God. “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God” (2Thessalonians 2:3-4).
If the outcome of prophecy cannot be avoided, then why bother attempting to stop the inevitable?
God cannot always wisely prevent sin, but woe to the one who commits sin!
“Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes” (Matthew 18:7).
The good of the moral choices made for God far exceeds the evil for our failure. Every choice for good is a choice for God, and God is greater than all. This was disputed by Lucifer, which he continues to dispute, until the Almighty confirms the conclusion of Lucifer’s choice by justly tormenting him “for ever and ever” (Revelation 20:10) in the Lake of Fire.
The best of all possible worlds must be the work of an All Wise Creator. It must be in the best interests of good that an All Wise God chooses to seek His own glory as the sum purpose for all existence, for “no one is good but One, that is, God” (Matthew 19:17; Mark 10:18).
Artificial Intelligence (AI) represents another effort of man to increase productivity.
(1) Aid in accomplishing the burdensome, repetitive, tedious aspects of a job are especially appreciated by workers, who use AI, much in the way automation was embraced — and, feared by the Luddites — in the Industrial Revolution. New skills and job opportunities were found, while large numbers of old skills and laborers’ jobs were eliminated, giving efficiencies, cost savings, and profitability to organizations and businesses employing the automation. Some observe that AI may replace 80% of skills, but the last 20% will make you irreplaceable.
[a] On technology: “I wisdom dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions” (Proverbs 8:12 KJV).
[b] On job security: “Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:30 NKJV).
[c] On the rightness of profitability: “14 Again, it [the Kingdom of Heaven] will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. Master, he said, you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! 22 The man with two bags of gold also came. Master, he said, you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more. 23 His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness! 24 Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. Master, he said, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. 26 His master replied, You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. 28 So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:14-30 NIV).
[d] On the wrongness of greed: “So he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:18-21 NKJV).
[e] On the value of a human: “29 But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor? 30 Then Jesus answered and said: A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you. 36 So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He who showed mercy on him. Then Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:29-37).
(2) The failure of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is our deficiency in understanding the scope and limitations of Large Language Models (LLM). Some see embracing AI can make you worse at your job, as when AI generated responses to online patient portal questions must be checked by physicians to see if it is something they would really say, and not a hallucination.
[a] Privacy. The reluctance of some in embracing the scale of AI lies in the idea of the privacy of information, specifically collected about you and I. Who has the right to our private information of identity, banking, health, employment, etc.? “You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people; nor shall you take a stand against the life of your neighbor: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:16 NKJV). Do we sacrifice our privacy to build LLMs, which can better serve and profile us? Have we not already sacrificed that privacy through our online browsing and search queries, which track and profile us for advertising purposes?
[b] Ownership. If government would not support our security of life and liberty through due process, then governmentally, we would have no practical ownership of physical or intellectual property. An unregulated AI would fracture ownership of our identity through its vast accumulation of information about us. Whoever is the ultimate controller of information about us is the one who truly knows us. Our true safeguard is God knows us. “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: The Lord knows those who are His, and, Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity” (2Timothy 2:19).
[c] Responsibility. We are responsible for the information AI collects about us through virtually every aspect of our lives. Paranoia assumes AI knows everything, but God alone knows all. Only the Almighty has unlimited power. “God has spoken once, Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God” (Psalm 62:11). Our adversary the devil and his minions are so much greater than we that they may seem all powerful, but that is what they want you to think. Jesus has taken all responsibility for everything by His plain declaration. “All authority [Greek, exousia, power] has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). We can rest assured “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11).
[d] Liability. Humanity universally disavows and disowns responsibility for the misuse of information, which would cost them their liberty or financial resources. Liability drives the self-preservation of bureaucracy more than any stated purpose of organization. In its worst case, the misuse of AI would result in the abuse of humanity requiring the worship of someone other than the Almighty Creator. “9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:9, 11).
[e] Inevitability. Has the AI tsunami already taken sufficient hold that the reluctant have embraced it, much as possession of a Social Security Number (SSN) by some conservative, Christian Americans in 1935 was initially viewed as taking the Mark of the Beast? But, until an identifying mark requires worship of the Antichrist, it is not the final assurance of perdition promised by God. “9 Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name” (Revelation 14:9-11 NKJV).
In conclusion, the erosion of cognitive thinking skills among the young may indicate a need for a type of AI Fast, a selective avoidance of AI for the preservation of cognitive thinking. Promoting AI more as a tutor in many areas would be acceptable. Our ability to seek and know God must be that which distinguishes us from all else. “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10). Our seeking God cannot be constrained by the limitations of Artificial Intelligence, since God wants our whole heart. “Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2Corinthians 10:5).
We Need A Miracle 