With Increase in AI Use, Particularly Amongst Christians, Some Urge Caution

This may have been the worst nightmare case scenario for those who design AI agents and chatbots, and it’s certainly part of the reason why officials are urging caution as AI use becomes more common.

Why Caution is Necessary

Half of all Americans are more concerned than excited about the ways in which AI is becoming a part of daily life, according to Pew Research. In addition, about half also believe that AI will cause a decline in people’s ability to think creatively and form meaningful relationships.

As for practicing Christians, nearly half (48 percent) have said they would trust AI with their spiritual growth. At the same time, about 83 percent of practicing Christians worry that AI can misinterpret scripture, and 72 percent worry that AI may replace pastors or spiritual leaders. Nevertheless, about a third believe that “AI’s spiritual guidance is as trustworthy as a pastor’s,” according to Barna.

Most pastors are already using AI in ministry in areas such as brainstorming (50 percent), biblical research (36 percent), graphic design (37 percent), and behind-the-scenes work. About 34 percent use it to generate small-group discussion questions or to help with administrative activities such as scheduling, emails and document preparation. Only 13 percent of pastors say they don’t use AI at all, according to another Barna poll.

On the upside, about 71 percent of pastors admitted to feeling cautious about AI, with 40 percent admitting to feeling conflicted. Nevertheless, about 24 percent of pastors are using AI to write or edit their sermons, according to Barna.

Dark Path where AI could Lead America

One government official who has been watching how AI is influencing multiple industries has expressed his concerns about where AI is leading America. The Department of Energy’s Tommy Joyce feels there’s a “larger question” than school initiatives and fostering an increased interest in engineering disciplines that needs to be considered.  

“I hate to say it, but I think a lot of people need more Christianity. I mean, we need to focus on how are we going to continue growing and focus on the right things and not just being materialistic,” Joyce said, according to The National News.

AI is increasingly being used to weigh human life in areas that were once exclusive to other humans. However, AI doesn’t have the intuition, a moral compass or the compassion of humans. It only has what its designers program into it and what it gathers from patterns and data. It’s already being used to scan resumes and evaluate candidates in the hiring process, and it’s also being used in healthcare to determine which patients should be seen first. In addition, it’s being used in crime prediction and for assistance in determining sentences, as well as in social media to determine hate speech, incorrect information. and decide which content it deems inappropriate for the public, according to Historica.

Even the White House has issued an Executive Order indicating its intent to “encouraging AI innovation and accelerating responsible AI adoption across government industry.” Most of this revolves around cyber security.

Perhaps the one shred of hope for America as AI continues to have increasing daily influence on the culture is what the above-noted Pew Research poll found regarding the attitude of many Americans. About half of Americans said they feel they have “little or no control over AI’s use in their lives,” and they wanted more control.

 Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/hirun

Elizabeth Delaney has been a freelance content writer for over 20 years and has enjoyed having her prose published in both the non-fiction and fiction markets. She has written various types of content, including Christian articles, healthy lifestyle, blog posts, business topics, news articles, product descriptions, and some fiction. She is also a singer-songwriter-musician. When she is not busy with writing or music, she enjoys spending time with friends or family and doing fun social activities such as hiking, swing dancing, concerts, and other activities.