On My Mind...
I just finished reading a fascinating book, The AI Apocalypse. Not “apocalypse” as in the end of the world, but rather an “unveiling.” The point of the book is that with advances in AI technology a lot is being revealed about us. I was vaguely familiar with AI but not really. I’ve used search engines and I’ve played around with Chapgpt, but I don’t swim in those waters. It’s not something I use regularly. Newsflash – I’m not a tech guy. I’m not “cutting edge” I’m more “blunt instrument.” I do know that I get emails/advertisements regularly encouraging me to try this or that service that will cut my study time in half and “free me” to do more ministry. I’ve not explored any of those, so this book was an eye-opener for me. I had no idea what generative AI is capable of producing. It certainly raises all sorts of moral and ethical questions. The most troubling revelation of the book for me, was that the top two uses of generative AI are for counseling and companionship. People are turning to a machine for advice and relationship!
Computers are great for quickly sorting and summarizing data. You have a question about a certain topic, and you want to know what resources are available, computers are great for quickly gathering information, but it’s a machine. It has no mind, no heart, no soul. It doesn’t “think!” It doesn’t listen. It doesn’t respond. It spits out data. What you are getting is math with words. Based on the large language model, programs search and sort data and then predict what would be the next words in a sequence. There is no relationship, it is an illusion. This ought to concern us. We are an increasingly isolated people. We work in cubicles, we come home, pull in our garage and close the door. We spend our time staring into screens and spend less and less time looking one another in the eye and talking. You are surrounded daily by lonely people. We are created in the image and likeness of God and part of what that means is that we are social beings. We are created to be in relationship. Not with machines but with other image bearers of God, mind to mind, heart to heart, soul to soul. Relationships cost you. They cost you time, energy and effort. You have to give of yourself if you are to be in relationship with someone. Empathy and understanding come from fellow human beings no machine will ever be capable of that! The book has been a sobering reminder to me that I need to be more alert to those around me. I need to look people in the eye, I need to listen, understand and respond with truth, love and genuine concern. I will still use search engines. I will, no doubt, us AI as a tool but maybe we could all put the device aside, stop spending the majoring of our time staring at a screen and show some good old fashion kindness to one another. It’s worth considering.
Have a blessed week,
Rod
Computers are great for quickly sorting and summarizing data. You have a question about a certain topic, and you want to know what resources are available, computers are great for quickly gathering information, but it’s a machine. It has no mind, no heart, no soul. It doesn’t “think!” It doesn’t listen. It doesn’t respond. It spits out data. What you are getting is math with words. Based on the large language model, programs search and sort data and then predict what would be the next words in a sequence. There is no relationship, it is an illusion. This ought to concern us. We are an increasingly isolated people. We work in cubicles, we come home, pull in our garage and close the door. We spend our time staring into screens and spend less and less time looking one another in the eye and talking. You are surrounded daily by lonely people. We are created in the image and likeness of God and part of what that means is that we are social beings. We are created to be in relationship. Not with machines but with other image bearers of God, mind to mind, heart to heart, soul to soul. Relationships cost you. They cost you time, energy and effort. You have to give of yourself if you are to be in relationship with someone. Empathy and understanding come from fellow human beings no machine will ever be capable of that! The book has been a sobering reminder to me that I need to be more alert to those around me. I need to look people in the eye, I need to listen, understand and respond with truth, love and genuine concern. I will still use search engines. I will, no doubt, us AI as a tool but maybe we could all put the device aside, stop spending the majoring of our time staring at a screen and show some good old fashion kindness to one another. It’s worth considering.
Have a blessed week,
Rod