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Jesus has instituted his living-breathing disciples, his shepherds in his church, to declare the full forgiveness of sins.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) has become the new buzzword. It's everywhere. The term has saturated the market and the workplace. Seemingly overnight, new technologies surrounding AI have exploded. As this technology grows and begins to influence daily life, how should we approach and interact with these new technological advancements as Christians?
But perhaps before we answer that question, it's worth asking another question: How did we get here? What seemed like a far-off sci-fi future of robots thinking, talking, and acting like humans is now a reality. But AI has not appeared overnight. It began in the 1950s with Machine Learning. Machine Learning is a form of AI in which computers learn from a set of data and improve over time through the recognition of certain patterns. Today, this early form of AI plays an integral role in many of our technologies, including smartwatches, robotic vacuums, smart home assistants (such as Alexa or Google Home), and even the technology behind your email junk mail folder.
As technology has progressed, Gen AI (Generative Artificial Intelligence) and LLMs (large language models) have been used to power systems such as ChatGPT. These systems generate responses and have human-like conversations in natural, everyday language. LLMs have incredibly vast databases that draw from sources such as books, scientific research, public data, and various websites.
Within its vast data sets are countless religious texts and theological writings. An LLM responds based on patterns in the data and the input it has received. Prompt engineering is the art of guiding the data output by giving structured parameters and specific requirements. Just as in the study of theology, words and details matter. The input quality directly impacts the output's accuracy and clarity. With the proper prompt engineering, ChatGPT can write an insightful sermon pointing to God's law and explaining the gospel.
The once hypothetical question, "If you could ask any historical figure a question, what would it be?" has now become a reality with Gen AI. When properly prompted, it can hold an interactive human-like conversation with its user.
If you would like to have a theological conversation with Martin Luther over a pint of beer, AI such as ChatGPT can simulate a real-time conversation based on Luther's writings and historical information. If you would like to sit down to a cup of coffee and discuss Moses's writings in the Old Testament, this piece of technology can simulate a deep conversation with Moses as well.
Currently, in Kyoto, Japan, a priest named Mindar stands before a congregation in a Buddhist temple delivering a sermon. Mindar is a robot priest, an integration of religion and technology. And then, there's the invention of the Sanctified Theomorphic Operator, or SanTO for short. This religious figurine was designed to assist those who are elderly, homebound, or disabled with their prayer and devotional life at home. SanTO assists the user with prayer requests and quotes ScriptureScripture to aid in the user's daily devotional life.
As AI continues to advance and begins to make its way into the church, the possibilities seem endless—but is this too far?
The future of AI carries with it some bold promises, even claiming to redefine humanity and spirituality. While AI offers more and more advanced problem-solving, it cannot solve our fundamental problem. ChatGPT cannot die for our sins. A robot may someday look us in the eye and attempt to offer us religious comfort, but it can never declare to us the forgiveness of our sins.
While having Gen AI conduct a simulated conversation with a Biblical or theological figure may be intriguing, it cannot replace the living, breathing church in which Christ is present in Word and sacrament. Robots and interactive figurines cannot replace those whom the Lord has called to deliver his gifts and put his name and forgiveness on you.
Our faith is not rooted in the advancements of technology but in the Lamb of God, who takes away our sins and the sins of the world. Jesus makes the ultimate promise, which he alone can deliver. He alone can redeem us. Jesus alone can fully and finally delete the database of sins we generated as he transferred them to himself. Jesus alone accomplishes our salvation—the forgiveness of sins through his sacrificial death in our place on Calvary. Jesus has instituted his living-breathing disciples, his shepherds in his church, to declare the full forgiveness of sins (John 20:22-23).
Our faith, rooted in the real, living, and breathing person of Christ, provides us with a proper perspective on how we should approach and interact with technology such as AI. No technology that has been or will be created from AI will ever provide a legitimate substitute for the object of our faith, Jesus Christ. However, because faith in Christ alone justifies us, we are no longer subject to seeking out our self-justification. Therefore, we are free to use technologies like AI to serve and love our neighbor rather than as a means of salvation.
Technology itself is neither good nor evil. During the Reformation, the technology of the printing press made it possible to more easily spread the gospel and the truths of ScriptureScripture. While the printing press made the sale of Roman indulgences more efficient, it also was utilized by Martin Luther to proclaim the free gift of the forgiveness of sins through Christ alone.
This gift of technology can be a tool used in service to our neighbors. Since ChatGPT has the knowledge of countless cookbooks, it can walk you through making a homemade loaf of bread and some amazing chicken noodle soup for your neighbor who has a cold and isn't feeling well. Do you struggle with your daily routine and making time for everything? Gen AI can help make a personalized schedule so that you can show up and be there for others. When it comes to the daily details of our horizontal realities lived in relationships with family, friends, and strangers, the possibilities for AI to assist us are endless.
As our world continues to change and new technologies emerge, we can enjoy it all as a gift, as tools to serve in our vocation. Yet, as our world changes, the One who does not change will be with us. Christ, who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, has promised to be with us. As we live and engage with technology in this world, we do so in service to our neighbor while looking to Christ alone for the gift only he delivers.
