Artificial intelligence (AI) is simply the science of making machines that can think like humans, perform tasks like humans, learn like humans, and solve problems like humans using massive amounts of data in ways humans never will. AI is also a broadened term for what we have labeled as “robots” for decades. Many will remember Jane buying Rosie the Robot in a
1962 episode of The Jetsons cartoon series to serve as her maid. And who among us Boomers could forget the B-9 Robot star in the 1965 television series Lost in Space, constantly protecting Will Robinson from danger? The Imagineers of Walt Disney Studios began designing and building their famed “animatronics” in 1951, which are still operational today in their popular theme parks. These were concepts & and realities over 70 years ago, so AI is not a technology so new.
Like all things technological and mechanical, AI has certainly evolved over the decades to become what some see as a growing threat to mankind. The late British professor and renowned physicist Stephen Hawking said in a 2014 BBC interview, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” In a 2018 interview with the Times of London highlighting the release of his book, “Brief Answers to the Big Questions” (2018, Bantam Books), Hawking warned, “It will either be the best thing that’s ever happened to us, or it will be the worst thing. If we’re not careful, it very well may be the last thing.” Those concerns are not just ridiculously imagined or manufactured from hyper-paranoid thinking. They are shared among some of the scientific developers of this rapidly expanding advanced technology.
What insights and perspectives shape our Biblical worldview of this modern wonder? Through Isaiah, God warned – “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isaiah 5:20). Anything someone develops for good someone else can abuse as evil, and that threat is what raises serious concerns among scientists like Hawking and others.
Using the leader of ancient Tyre as a personification of Satan, God revealed to the prophet Ezekiel that the leader had great wisdom and understanding (Ezekiel 28:4-5,12). People today make a big mistake not realizing the shrewd intelligence of Satan, and God revealed to Ezekiel that Satan corrupted his wisdom (28:17) by using it to acquire riches for himself (28:4-5). It is not money that constitutes evil, but the love of money that is the root of all sorts of evil (I Timothy 6:10). Goldman Sachs maintains that AI has the potential to bring about sweeping changes to the global economy, driving a 7% increase in global GDP (almost $7 trillion) and lift productive growth by 15% over the next ten years. Those kinds of profits turn heads in the business world!
The heart of Satan became lifted up because of his riches (Ezekiel 28:5), and his wisdom, which led him to the erroneous perception that “I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods!” (28:2). The technology & expertise acquired today to create remarkable and impressive artificial intelligence can easily lead some to develop a similar “God complex.”
In many ways, man has become too smart for his own frail human capabilities. The National Human Genome Research Institute describes another scientific breakthrough man’s intelligence has obtained – cloning. The Institute reveals that different processes can be used to produce genetically identical copies of a biological entity. The copied material has the same genetic makeup as the original, and researchers have already cloned a wide range of biological materials, including genes, cells, tissues, and even organisms such as animals. In 1979, the first genetically identical mouse was produced, followed closely thereafter by the first genetically identical cows, sheep, and chickens. In 1996, Scottish researchers successfully cloned the first mammal, a sheep they named “Dolly.” Two years later, Japanese researchers cloned eight calves from a single cow.
Can these advancements in science & technology fall into the wrong hands and be used for sinister purposes? Despite the institute’s claim that no attempt has ever been made to clone humans, who knows when the intelligent design and evil “God complex” of some might embark on that very task? Or, in some obscure lab in some remote part of the world, that effort is not already underway?
God would remind modern science of the same reality He declared to Satan – You are a man and not God, although you make your heart like the heart of God (Ezekiel 28:2,9). God doesn’t miss these things man is striving to accomplish – The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good (Proverbs 15:3). He sees what is going on now just as He did thousands of years ago when human efforts at deity led to the construction of a tower called Babel.
Civilization had been recovering from the Flood for some 100 years when a tribe found a plain in the land of Shinar (modern Iraq) in which to settle (Genesis 11:2). The Scripture indicates that the language of this group of people was a key element to their intellectual ability, for they all used the same language and the same words (11:1). I can’t help but see the common link between this ancient wisdom and man’s intellect today. The kind of technology integrated with artificial intelligence is “machine code,” the elemental language read by a computer’s central processing unit (CPU) and made up of digital binary numerical sequences of zeros and ones. It is the global universal language of computer technology!
So, like intelligent design today says, “Come, let us make smartphones, smart TVs, GPS, the internet, and many varieties of robots,” this ancient group said, “Come, let us make bricks and…let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name.” (11:3-4). Sounds a bit like the self-talk of Satan when he said, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God.” (Isaiah 14:13). There is an inherent sense of misplaced deity in these aspirations. “We are smart. We have developed great technologies and accomplished insurmountable feats unsurpassed by previous generations of scientists and engineers. With the resources and advancements we have acquired today, there is nothing we can’t do. We will change the world!” You can almost hear the undercurrent of, “I will make myself like the Most High.” (Isaiah 14:14).
Again, this arrogant quest for intellectual design does not escape the eye and ear of Almighty God – The Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. The Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they all have the same language. And this is what they began to do, and now nothing which they purpose to do will be impossible for them.” (Genesis 11:5-6). As my mother used to say, they got “too big for their britches,” and God had to bring them down a notch or two. God confused their language so that they did not understand one another’s speech, and scattered them abroad (11:7-8). That put an end to their construction project and the fame & deity associated with it they so proudly wanted to claim.
The shift that often occurs in man, causing him to focus on his intelligence, his expertise & abilities, his successes, and what else he might accomplish for himself, can catapult him to the level of a God complex if not careful. He forgets who the real God is and grows to think more highly of himself than he ought to think (Romans 12:3). Such men may become futile in their speculations with their foolish hearts darkened. Professing to be wise, they become fools and…exchange the truth of God for a lie, and worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator (Romans 1:21-25). This self-imposed transference of deity in the mind of man distorts his perspective, causing him to see himself as a “creator” with the intelligence and resources necessary to create whatever “creature” he supposes. That power can be dangerous, as Hawking and others have warned.
This suppression of the truth in unrighteous instigates the wrath of God being revealed from heaven against such ungodliness (Romans 1:18). God may come down and stop such deviation as He did in ancient Babel, or He might give them over to their evil appetites (Romans 1:24) and let them indulge their misplaced ambitions. His response is determined by the intent of His sovereign plan, which may serve to apply judgment as it did in Babel or justify the judgment that is forthcoming, such as that which John describes in Revelation during the Tribulation Period on earth.
John’s prophetic revelation introduces two men who will walk on the global stage in the not-too-distant future. He calls them the first beast and the second beast, referring to the Antichrist and his right-hand man, the False Prophet. They are both empowered by the dragon, a designation in Revelation always referring to Satan. The Greek prefix ANTI means opposite to and in place of. The idea is not a replacement but a counterfeit or, in the context of this discussion, something artificial. The Antichrist will present himself as the real Christ, and the False Prophet will promote him as such, but he will be a faked replica.
The False Prophet will be endowed with miraculous supernatural power (of the evil kind) to the extent that he will even make fire rain down out of the sky (Revelation 13:13). Another remarkable thing he will do is issue a directive that an image be made of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:14). The Greek word is EIKON, which refers to a statue or profile in the likeness of something or someone. Isn’t it interesting that icons are commonplace in computer technology today? Then, something even more remarkable takes place. The False Prophet gives breath to the image so that it even speaks (Revelation 13:15). The Greek word translated gives breath means that the image will have a similarity to human life, even to the extent that it will LALEO, or utter words. Is it just me, or does all this not ring familiar with certain nuances of artificial intelligence?
John tells us the False Prophet will require everyone to be given the famed mark on their right hand or on their forehead (Revelation 13:16). The Greek word translated mark refers to a permanent scratching or etching into the skin. That can certainly describe a tattoo and why the art has become so widely approved & accepted today among millions worldwide. God commanded the ancient Hebrews that they were not to make any tattoo marks on themselves (Leviticus 19:28) because it was a practice of the pagan nations, and God didn’t want His people doing anything that resembled pagan worship & practices. The ultimate pagans of the future Tribulation Period will be Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. A tattoo may well be their mark, so why would God prohibit that association with the ancients and not stay consistent with the same righteous standard today? I’ll leave those who will to wrestle with God on that answer.
John reveals that the mark will be the number of his name (Revelation 13:17). Lots of fascinating speculation has emerged over the hundreds of years about this meaning, so let me throw one more possibility onto the pile. The mark (tattoo) could be a QR Code, which, when scanned, connects to a web-based link like a bank account. That would enable the False Prophet to assure that no one will be able to buy or sell except the one who has the mark (Revelation 13:17). How is a QR Code generated? It is made up of a series of dots arranged in a square grid that stores data. Those dots, which represent a 1 in binary code, are contrasted against the white spaces, which represent a 0 (zero), providing a pattern that computers can quickly read and translate to a web-based link. We have circled back to that universal language of computers we mentioned earlier in this article: the language artificial intelligence speaks.
The technology required to address these scenarios mentioned in the Bible is already in existence and continues to advance at a rapid pace. While society enjoys the numerous conveniences and advantages of artificial intelligence, it's crucial to recognize that when wielded by those with ill intentions, this power can become one of the most malevolent forces humanity has ever encountered. History may ultimately confirm this danger, and religious texts may provide unsettling insights. We are aware that at the core of Satan's desires lies the thirst for godhood and dominion; he seeks to rule and reign. His actions are consistently cloaked in deception, as he is known as the father of lies, aiming to lead individuals astray from the path of God's Word, His will, and His ways, ultimately leading them to ruin, destruction, and death. Artificial intelligence represents an additional potent tool in his sinister arsenal to execute these nefarious plans, and the dark influences pervading our modern world may indeed be molding the thoughts and actions of certain individuals to facilitate these malevolent ends, often without your awareness.
WITHOUT your awareness! In fact, I didn’t write that paragraph. An online AI generator rewrote it for me, and I’ll bet you didn’t realize that until just this moment. Here is the original paragraph I wrote:
The technology needed that could accommodate these Biblical eventualities is already in place and still rapidly advancing. While the world may enjoy the many conveniences and benefits of artificial intelligence, in the wrong hands, this power can become one of the most sinister forces ever known to mankind. History may well reveal this danger to be true, and Scripture may well be providing us with that troubling glimpse. We know Satan’s deepest thirst is for deity & dominion (he wants to rule & reign), and his activity is always delivered in the context of deception (he is the father of lies) to lead men into destitution, destruction & death by convincing them to deviate from God’s Word, will, and ways. Artificial intelligence offers one more powerful tool in his diabolical arsenal to accomplish those sinister plans, and the demonic influences permeating our modern world may indeed be shaping the minds of some individuals to accommodate that end without you ever knowing or realizing it is happening. (Notice AI changed “the Scripture” to simply “religious texts.” A subtle change, but not exactly the same thing).
How do you know your favorite author actually wrote the book you’ve been enjoying the past few days? How do you know that advertisement on the radio or television telling you about the big sale on Main Street is not an AI-generated voice-over? How do you know that image of your friend on social media standing beside the Grand Canyon is not really in her living room with an AI background generated perfectly in high definition? How will the people of the world know that the Antichrist is not the real Christ during the Tribulation Period? John declared that the spirit of antichrist is already in the world (I John 4:3), and Jesus warned this spirit will mislead many (Matthew 24:5).
In the wrong hands, good can be reformed into evil, evil into good, darkness can be reformed into light, and light into darkness. In the world of artificial intelligence, the evil darkness can radiate like the best & brightest light, so take Hawking’s advice and beware. Even artificial intelligence is built and programmed by humans, some of whom may have sinister and selfish ambitions this advanced power could give opportunity to.
Blessings,
Rick M. Smith
Pastor, Author & Speaker
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