This article is adapted from a sermon I preached.
AI is everywhere. It’s on your phone, in your search browser, embedded in your shopping, and driving everything from social media to music streaming. Artificial intelligence is writing poetry, generating “art,” and doing a lot of kids’ homework. Given its omnipresence, Christians must be clear on what AI cannot do.
With the rise of a new technology, Christians must strive to view and use that technology through a biblical lens. This is especially important because there are unchristian and unbiblical ways to use and view artificial intelligence.
For example, famous atheist Richard Dawkins recently declared that AI was conscious. As an atheist and a naturalist, Dawkins believes in the emergent view of consciousness. If consciousness is something that emerges from having all the physical pieces arranged the right way, then Dawkins can make that claim. Similarly, Marvin Minsky (an early artificial intelligence researcher) claimed that the human brain is merely a machine made out of meat. If a machine made out of meat can be conscious, why can’t a machine made out of computer parts be conscious?
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to interacting with AI without a thoroughly Christian worldview. Other extreme examples include those who worship AI (here, here, and here), those who have gone on AI-fueled “spiritual awakenings,” and have even been influenced to commit horrible actions while using chatbots.
It is clear that Christians need to soberly consider the limits of AI. AI is not inherently evil, and has some tolerable (and inescapable at this point) uses. But there are some things artificial intelligence cannot do, and Christians must be the first to recognize this and never attribute things that are only true of God to AI.
With this in mind, here are some important things AI cannot do.
AI cannot replace your value, meaning or purpose
There’s been a lot of talk about AI replacing jobs. One estimate saw AI replacing 300 million jobs worldwide. Others forecast that AI will create more jobs than it eliminates. It may be the case that AI will replace your job, as has already happened for some people.
As Christians, we understand that artificial intelligence might replace our jobs, but it can never replace our ultimate purpose, value or meaning in life. Our purpose, value, and meaning does not ultimately come from our jobs, or any other aspect of our identity not found in God and His Son.
Further, a human’s ultimate value does not come from his or her output or efficiency. As Christians we understand that the value of human life is not found in what a human life is able to “contribute to society.” Human life has inherit value regardless of ability, from the womb to the tomb.
Instead of finding human value, purpose, and meaning in the things artificial intelligence can replace, Christians must remember and proclaim that our value, meaning, and purpose is found in God through Christ. Our value comes from being made in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Our ultimate meaning is found in doing all to the glory of God and becoming more like Christ (1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 8:29). Our ultimate purpose is found in respecting and obeying God (Eccl. 12:13-14). These are all things AI can never replace.
AI cannot complete our most important tasks
The original advertised use case for AI and LLMs was completing boring/tedious tasks. Artificial intelligence can certainly be helpful in this area. I would love to never make another spreadsheet again.
(SIDE NOTE: if you do need to make a spreadsheet, sign up for free and use private and secure Proton Sheets. [referral link])
One of the buzzwords around AI is “automation” or “automate.” We are pitched this vision of the future where all of our tedious tasks are automated by artificial intelligence while we relish in unprecedented free time. Even if this is true, AI will never be able to automate our most important tasks.
The most important things in life cannot be done by AI. Only we can make the choice and actively work to love our God and neighbor (Matt. 22:37-40). God’s will is for us to be personally engaged in joy, prayer, and thanksgiving (1 Thess. 5:17-18). AI can’t deny ourselves and take up our cross for us daily (Luke 9:23).
In an age of automation and efficiency, Christians will always have things to do the “old fashioned way.”
AI cannot be a true friend or counselor
According to the man at the helm of ChatGPT, “older people use ChatGPT as a Google replacement… people in their 20s and 30s use it like a life advisor.” According to a Harvard study, 32% of Gen Z use AI for advice about relationships or life decisions, 23% use it as a friend, and 10% of Gen Z has an artificially intelligent boyfriend or girlfriend.
The problem here of course is that LLMs cannot think, are not conscious, do not have a soul, and are not embodied. AI chatbots are merely complex computer programs that are making probabilistic analyses about what English words should appear next on your screen. They engage in sycophancy, are overly agreeable, and tell a person what he or she wants to hear by default, often creating an echo chamber.
In every way, this is the exact opposite of what the Bible says is a good friend and counselor. A true friend and good counselor tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.
Open rebuke is better than love carefully concealed. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. (Prov. 27:5-6 NKJV)
Proverbs 27:9 tells us that “the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel” (NKJV). “Hearty counsel” literally means “counsel of the soul,” which is something that AI can never offer.
People (especially young people) do not need a friend and counselor who only tells them what they want to hear. That’s why AI is a terrible place to go for friendship or meaningful advice.
AI cannot produce certainty as a source of truth
Many people view AI as a source of truth. Google even recently replaced it’s link-based queries with AI responses. That’s a big deal in a time when “Google it” is the de facto phrase to find the truth on something. But AI inherently cannot be a source of certainty or objective truth.
In testing, popular LLMs hallucinate 15-52% of the time (as AI improves these numbers will get smaller). A podcast interview with the chief executive of the YouVersion Bible app revealed that one popular AI model they tested misquoted the Bible nearly 20% of the time. This makes sense when we understand how these chatbots work. Stitching together available information on the internet is bound to yield incorrect results from time to time.
Combine this with the fact that “There is no step in the training of an AI model that does fact-checking” and you are in for a sorry source of truth.
Unlike AI, God can give us certainty and absolute truth because He’s the source of both. God cannot lie (Titus 1:2), and He never hallucinates. His Word is truth, His Son is truth embodied, and His Spirit is the Spirit of truth (John 17:17; 14:6, 16-17). Through Him, we can have certainty about the most important issues of life (1 John 5:13, 20).
Many people seek certainty in something that cannot possibly produce it while neglecting the source of all truth. Christians must be different and share this good news with others.
AI cannot solve our greatest problems
It’s becoming clear that AI is not good for our mental health, the environment, our IQ, or societal stability. Yet, companies market the many problems AI supposedly can solve: day-to-day tasks, data crunching, efficiency, productivity, brain storming, and GDP explosion. AI is not a silver bullet or a magic pill. It can’t even solve our greatest problems.
The world views problems through a physical lens. If AI makes us all richer, or happier, or less bored, or healthier, than it is worth it. But our greatest problems have never been physical or economic or political. Our greatest problems are spiritual.
It’s possible to be productive, efficient, save time, automate half your life, make more money, and be spiritually dead. Our greatest problem is bondage to sin, death, and the devil. As Martin Luther put it, our biggest problem is that we are incurvatus in se, turned inward on ourselves. This type of problem cannot be solved by AI, and may be exacerbated by it in many circumstances.
Only the God who has given us a new heart, sent His Son to save us, and provided His Word to guide us can solve our biggest problem. There is no shortcut for the most meaningful solutions to our most pressing problems. May we have eyes to see what our true problems are and where the only solution lies.
Conclusion
AI can be a helpful tool for some tasks, but we cannot use it to replace the irreplaceable gifts given to us by God. Unlike God, AI is created by man and has many inherit, insurmountable limits.
In Christ we know that our hope for the future does not primarily come from technological progress. Our hope is found in God, His work, and His promises.
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