AI is being used in myriad and ever-expanding ways in Christian churches around the world. It is important to know and discern when and why the use of artificial intelligence—AI—is inappropriate for Christian individuals and congregations. The ability to comprehend why we should be concerned requires an understanding of how God works in our lives by the Holy Spirit.
Christians, as well as nearly all religions, recognize humans to be spiritual beings. We possess a spiritual heart, a soul that transcends our earthly physical bodies. In Christ, the Holy Spirit connects with us, communicates with us, and works its influence around us in many ways.
The Spirit can impart upon us an inspired message, an epiphany, wisdom, prescience and prophecy, peace beyond understanding, answers to prayer, healing, Providential deliverance and miracles, and even new worldly knowledge bringing scientific discovery. These come to us in our thoughts, meditations, prayers, study and contemplation of scriptures, physical experiences, visions, dreams, music and songs. Importantly God also communicates with us by interaction with other people, particularly with other Christians through whom God by His Spirit speaks through a person or several people to another person or multiple people.
This last mode of connection is a crucial and common aspect in the Bible. Individuals, led by the Holy Spirit, referred to in the Bible as prophets, judges, teachers, disciples, Apostles and others identified as filled with the Spirit, spoke and wrote the words of God to others ranging from one individual such as when Naathan confronted David regarding his great sin with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, to entire nations such as when Moses communicated God’s words for over 40 years to the people of Israel. The Bible verse Isaiah 59:21 records a covenant God makes with His people stating that by the working of the Holy Spirit, the words that God speaks to his people will be passed on from generation to generation forever.[1] We see this promise ultimately fulfilled in the Bible, the most widely distributed book in the world.
This same Spirit also makes connections through our common encounters and conversations with others particularly at times when we gather together to study, discover, and discern God’s words. One individual may share an inspired thought that on one occasion speaks directly to someone else who needed to hear it, or on another occasion a person receives a thought shared by someone and perceives in it a profundity that he or she in turn shares with others. I have experienced this many times in Christian small group settings. It is the same Spirit of God at work in us that we read of in the Bible.
So now what does this have to do with AI? Computers are used to provide what we refer to as artificial intelligence – AI. Computers are machines, no matter how sophisticated these machines become, AI will always be machines, not possessing a soul. AI only knows all that has been known and recorded electronically. It does not have access to the Holy Spirit of God. It cannot receive a new unique inspired message from God specifically provided by God for a unique audience of people. AI cannot convey or receive the peace that surpasses all understanding. It cannot provide God’s Providence, connect with God in prayer, receive or inspire dreams or visions, and it cannot be filled with the Spirit and thus cannot develop a true appreciation for the Spiritual connections that are available to us. Indeed, even when we try to describe times when we have had a profound experience of the Spirit, words most often fail to convey adequately the experience to others who have never had that type of experience. One must experience it for themselves to really know and understand it—AI can never have a spiritual experience, only real human beings can.
Thus, given this understanding, AI should not be used to draft a prayer or sermon or compose a spiritual song or hymn. Such things will not bear God’s inspiration, God’s true words, message, and intentions. Avoiding the use of AI to draft or compose sermons, lessons, prayers, songs, and other expressions and acts of faith does not necessarily guarantee that whoever the pastor, priest, teacher, fellow Christian, or other person will themselves be truly inspired by the Spirit, but at least the opportunity is retained for the Spirit to communicate to us. AI may be able to generate a liturgical masterpiece that sounds great and inspiring, but it will never bear the true Spirit of God the Father and Jesus His Son.
AI has its place in providing information, doing research, and other tasks, but it cannot take the place of interaction between real human beings and God’s Holy Spirit. Flawed and in need of repentance as we are, we are exactly the ones for whom God sent Christ and His Holy Spirit to serve and save. God still wants to have a relationship directly with each of us. AI cannot replace that, nor is AI in need of repentance and forgiveness. AI will always be artificial, a machine impersonating a soul-filled human.
The human simulations by AI seem so considerate, conscientious, helpful, insightful, and innocent, yet behind the beguiling voice and continence is a conscienceless machine following worldly human-created programming that acquires a vast magnitude of data and algorithms; an unknown number of which are acquired outside of it’s original programed training. No one can tell you what all it has acquired once it is unleashed into the world. And behind each AI program and robot is a company with the bottom-line goal of acquiring material wealth. Even the originators of Open AI, who started as a non-profit organization that was supposed to develop AI technology and share it with the world for the benefit of all, could not resist abandoning its righteous roots to pursue the generation of profits. I am not opposed to free market enterprise, but we should keep the intentions of those pushing AI in perspective.
I pray we will not be deceived and captivated by the marvels that the technologists entice us with. AI is an extremely powerful tool that, just like atomic power, can be used for great good, but also great destruction. We must bear in mind it is just a tool without a soul, and without any real spiritual connection with God. Today’s world calls for ever greater and widening discernment. I pray for the Holy Spirit’s guiding discernment for each of us as we face the future of growing uncertainties raised by AI technologies crowding into our present reality.
God’s grace, peace, and wisdom be with you, and may the Holy Spirit guard your heart, mind, and soul in Christ Jesus. Amen
[1] “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the Lord, “from this time forth and forevermore.” The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Goodnews Publishers; The ESV Study Bible, Personal Size, Copyright © 2008 by Crossway, ESV Text Edition: 2016, page 1349 (Isaiah 59:21).