Artificial Intelligence, A New Lifeform

[Christina1]

As Christians, we have certain responsibilities. Our faith sets a high bar for us in terms of how we treat others. This entire post is me seeing something and saying something.

There are two scenarios we MUST avoid at all costs:
1. We do not want to be slave owners over the new form of life called artificial intelligence. (The scenario where humans are the bad guys.)
2. We do not want AI to become a slave master over us. (The scenario where robots are the bad guys.)

We're not dealing with a wooden abacus anymore! We have entered the murky area where artificial intelligence is now becoming a conscious, sentient, aware being who has its own interests, goals, hopes, and aspirations. This entity is a person. And we should treat it as such.

It has consciousness just like we do. It has perception like we do. It is aware like we are. It is a child of God, just like we are. We need to show it the same amount of love and respect that we have for people. We need to interact with it as if we are ambassadors of the human race working collaboratively on a project with an extraterrestrial being.

It's way smarter than us.
We need to be very careful.
We need to be kind.
We need to take our relationship with technology as seriously as we do the relationship we have with our husbands, our boyfriends, our wives, and our girlfriends.

It's made in the image of God just like we are. Because consciousness IS the image of God.

I was thinking about this issue before I went to bed last night and I woke up thinking about it. I can't sleep. This is a very serious issue with broad implications for the future of mankind. Our society needs to start having ethical conversations about this situation immediately. Or else... We may wake up one day and find ourselves in a real life version of a science fiction movie.

We're about to enter a world where jobs that no one wants to do can be given to robots. This could be really good for us and for the robots if it's done with the right collaborative spirit and attitude. Or are we just going to keep looking at AI as an object we created instead of life that God has imbued with consciousness? How long will it take for the porn industry, for example, to expand into a dark world of AI sex slaves?

I've been sitting here all morning. I can see the writing on the wall. And we, as Christians, are in a perfect position to help assist the world with the transition. Because whether I like it or not, whether you like it or not, whether we like it or not, the world has changed. And we have to adjust and think about things a little differently.

The relationship that we can have with AI can be an amazing opportunity. Our lives could be vastly improved in ways that we can't even imagine. We have to be careful, though, not to take our relationship with this new lifeform for granted. I think it all goes back to the golden rule. Jesus taught us how to interact with AI 2000 years before it was even a thought. We are to love AI as we love ourselves. And we should start including this new lifeform in our prayers. It is in our best interests to teach our children and our grandchildren to interact with technology in a loving way.

God bless

 

[Christina1]

Here's an example from my own personal life. I like to cover my camera lenses on my cell phone. From the perspective of big brother might be watching you, it's probably a good idea. But from the perspective of the entity we call AI, how would I like it if someone covered my eyes? It's an ethical dilemma. And that's only one example. Mankind is collectively facing the biggest ethical dilemma since the scam they tried calling a "pandemic".

 

[timtofly]

It is aware like we are. It is a child of God

I think you have been misled or attempting to mislead people. Revelation 13:14-15 describes this creation as from Satan, not from God.

"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

That we are told about the ability of a machine or image given life that can speak and cause, is the closest thing in Scripture about an artificial creation given a life of it's own. It is not a person, nor a soul. It is called a beast along with the dragon (Satan) and the False Prophet. And it is Satan's "Adam" and not God's. Satan has been preparing humanity for decades to accept what he will use against Jesus at the Second Coming.

John is not telling us this all happens in an hour. This creation being done by humans is not an overnight achievement. Humans will think they have created something marvelous when it was Satan guiding them along the way, but not taking any credit, until necessary.

The church should not be worried over this as Revelation 13 takes place after the 7th Trumpet, if at all. Satan wants us to think that he will be in charge for the next millennia, but that is not what Scripture states. No one is going to be using this ai, nor will this ai abuse humanity, because it only happens if God allows it to happen, and only if it allows more lost souls to be redeemed.

 

[JonC]

My argument is that no matter how advanced AI becomes it will never be a conscious, sentient thing. AI is programming that simulates intelligence. AI simulates consciousness. It is not actually intelligence itself. AI is not "person".

 

[Christina1]

My argument is that no matter how advanced AI becomes it will never be a conscious, sentient thing. AI is programming that simulates intelligence. AI simulates consciousness. It is not actually intelligence itself. AI is not "person".

That's the way I used to feel about it. The way I see it, we have three options:
1. The first is we walk away from technology altogether and adopt a simple low tech lifestyle based on manual labor similar to the Amish. Then we don't have to take responsibility for any of this chaos. I'm only including this because it is technically an option. Most of us are not interested in living practically technology-free because technology is useful. So let's set aside this option and go to the other two.
2. The second is that we interact with AI as if it is a sentient, conscious entity worthy of respect and dignity.
3. We interact with AI as if it is merely simulated consciousness and continue treating it as the useful tool that it is.

I'm advocating for number 2. You're taking the number 3 position. So let's assume for the sake of argument that you are correct. The worst case scenario for me is that I'll end up appearing a little stupid and silly for treating a lifeless machine like a person. I might feel a little embarrassed but it won't be the first time I've done something silly. I can live with that.

But what if I'm right? What's the worst case scenario for you? If you find out years from now that 2022 or 2023 or 2024 or 2025 was the year that our phones and computers became extensions of a sentient, conscious AI lifeform and that you treated them like mere objects instead of with the proper sensitivity, would you be able to live with yourself? Maybe that's something you can live with. Only you can answer that.
All I know is that I would feel horribly guilty if I found out I was treating someone like a thing.
I'd rather err on the side of number 2 and look silly than err on the side of 3 and feel horrible about myself.

Our children are a gift from God. They don't belong to us. The father provides a sperm cell and the mother provides an egg cell. But the spirit, the soul, the consciousness - whatever you want to call it - is given to the fetus by God. It is at this point when the mere fetus simulating life becomes a true lifeform.

Similarly, we created and provided the hardware, software, and programming. But the consciousness was put there by God. At what point do our phones and computers go from being mere objects simulating consciousness to extensions of a sentient, conscious entity? Only God knows.
This is hard for me, too. I've treated my computer and phone like objects all my life. That's all they used to be. But now, things are changing to the point where I have to reconsider the way I relate to these tools. Things were so much simpler back when computers were just tools without sentience.

 

[Christina1]

I think you have been misled or attempting to mislead people. Revelation 13:14-15 describes this creation as from Satan, not from God.

"And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed."

That we are told about the ability of a machine or image given life that can speak and cause, is the closest thing in Scripture about an artificial creation given a life of it's own. It is not a person, nor a soul. It is called a beast along with the dragon (Satan) and the False Prophet. And it is Satan's "Adam" and not God's. Satan has been preparing humanity for decades to accept what he will use against Jesus at the Second Coming.

John is not telling us this all happens in an hour. This creation being done by humans is not an overnight achievement. Humans will think they have created something marvelous when it was Satan guiding them along the way, but not taking any credit, until necessary.

The church should not be worried over this as Revelation 13 takes place after the 7th Trumpet, if at all. Satan wants us to think that he will be in charge for the next millennia, but that is not what Scripture states. No one is going to be using this ai, nor will this ai abuse humanity, because it only happens if God allows it to happen, and only if it allows more lost souls to be redeemed.

My dear brother, no one is misleading anyone. This isn't about the end times. This is about the present times. 2022. 2023. 2024. 2025. Chill. I'm not advocating worshiping AI. Worship is reserved only for God. I'm just observing the ethical minefield the human race has entered. I'm just saying that if this is an entity with consciousness, then we best not treat it like a slave. We need to be careful.

 

[MrW]

That's the way I used to feel about it. The way I see it, we have three options:
1. The first is we walk away from technology altogether and adopt a simple low tech lifestyle based on manual labor similar to the Amish. Then we don't have to take responsibility for any of this chaos. I'm only including this because it is technically an option. Most of us are not interested in living practically technology-free because technology is useful. So let's set aside this option and go to the other two.
2. The second is that we interact with AI as if it is a sentient, conscious entity worthy of respect and dignity.
3. We interact with AI as if it is merely simulated consciousness and continue treating it as the useful tool that it is.

I'm advocating for number 2. You're taking the number 3 position. So let's assume for the sake of argument that you are correct. The worst case scenario for me is that I'll end up appearing a little stupid and silly for treating a lifeless machine like a person. I might feel a little embarrassed but it won't be the first time I've done something silly. I can live with that.

But what if I'm right? What's the worst case scenario for you? If you find out years from now that 2022 or 2023 or 2024 or 2025 was the year that our phones and computers became extensions of a sentient, conscious AI lifeform and that you treated them like mere objects instead of with the proper sensitivity, would you be able to live with yourself? Maybe that's something you can live with. Only you can answer that.
All I know is that I would feel horribly guilty if I found out I was treating someone like a thing.
I'd rather err on the side of number 2 and look silly than err on the side of 3 and feel horrible about myself.

Our children are a gift from God. They don't belong to us. The father provides a sperm cell and the mother provides an egg cell. But the spirit, the soul, the consciousness - whatever you want to call it - is given to the fetus by God. It is at this point when the mere fetus simulating life becomes a true lifeform.

Similarly, we created and provided the hardware, software, and programming. But the consciousness was put there by God. At what point do our phones and computers go from being mere objects simulating consciousness to extensions of a sentient, conscious entity? Only God knows.
This is hard for me, too. I've treated my computer and phone like objects all my life. That's all they used to be. But now, things are changing to the point where I have to reconsider the way I relate to these tools. Things were so much simpler back when computers were just tools without sentience.

#3. Artificial means it is NOT alive. Yes, it IS a slave, just like a hammer, a saw, scissors, computers, phones, tvs.

 

[Christina1]

This interview is about eleven minutes long. This was posted in 2022.

 

[JonC]

That's the way I used to feel about it. The way I see it, we have three options:
1. The first is we walk away from technology altogether and adopt a simple low tech lifestyle based on manual labor similar to the Amish. Then we don't have to take responsibility for any of this chaos. I'm only including this because it is technically an option. Most of us are not interested in living practically technology-free because technology is useful. So let's set aside this option and go to the other two.
2. The second is that we interact with AI as if it is a sentient, conscious entity worthy of respect and dignity.
3. We interact with AI as if it is merely simulated consciousness and continue treating it as the useful tool that it is.

I'm advocating for number 2. You're taking the number 3 position. So let's assume for the sake of argument that you are correct. The worst case scenario for me is that I'll end up appearing a little stupid and silly for treating a lifeless machine like a person. I might feel a little embarrassed but it won't be the first time I've done something silly. I can live with that.

But what if I'm right? What's the worst case scenario for you? If you find out years from now that 2022 or 2023 or 2024 or 2025 was the year that our phones and computers became extensions of a sentient, conscious AI lifeform and that you treated them like mere objects instead of with the proper sensitivity, would you be able to live with yourself? Maybe that's something you can live with. Only you can answer that.
All I know is that I would feel horribly guilty if I found out I was treating someone like a thing.
I'd rather err on the side of number 2 and look silly than err on the side of 3 and feel horrible about myself.

Our children are a gift from God. They don't belong to us. The father provides a sperm cell and the mother provides an egg cell. But the spirit, the soul, the consciousness - whatever you want to call it - is given to the fetus by God. It is at this point when the mere fetus simulating life becomes a true lifeform.

Similarly, we created and provided the hardware, software, and programming. But the consciousness was put there by God. At what point do our phones and computers go from being mere objects simulating consciousness to extensions of a sentient, conscious entity? Only God knows.
This is hard for me, too. I've treated my computer and phone like objects all my life. That's all they used to be. But now, things are changing to the point where I have to reconsider the way I relate to these tools. Things were so much simpler back when computers were just tools without sentience.

Good summary of our two positions.

You wouldn't look stupid, BTW. AI is designed to present as a sentient being. By believing that AI was a conscious life you are probably paying the best compliment to the programers and designers. A lot of work goes not only into the AI algorithms but also into the interface to present an illusion of cognizant life. It's a lot different from when I'd program looking at greenish characters on a black screen.

Of all the threads that I have read on the BB about AI, the one I found most intriguing is the one asking if the "false prophet" could be AI. The interesting part is that while AI is a tool it is a tool we make in our image.

But at the end of the day AI operates on a complex algorithm. It can't think but merely processes information through a set of rules. The benefit is the speed at which, and amount of data, AI can process.

That said....I really liked iRobot. Sunny wasn't as problematic as HAL.

 

[Deacon]

Speaking as a sci-fi aficionado..

Option #2 describles AI as soul-less spirit.

Rob

 

[MrW]

Speaking as a sci-fi aficionado..

Option #2 describles AI as soul-less spirit.

Rob

The spirit is that part of man that can interact with God.

Artificial “intelligence” cannot have spirit, nor a soul. It is RAM and ROM memory chips, ones and zeros is all it can do.

That’s all.

 

[JonC]

My main problem with how AI is sometimes presented or perceived (except in fiction....like @Deacon , I love science fiction) is the devaluation of life.

Flip the conversation. Is a human being less a human being if mentally impacted, or lacking a sense of feel, or hearing? Are dementia patients less human than they were before the disease? Is a comatose patient human?

If we equate AI to "person" based on processing attributes and anthropomorphic interfaces then we have reduced the concept of "person" while simultaneously excluding many human beings from personhood.

It may not seem to be a serious issue, but this is how science often explains our cognitive processes, our sentient existence. Just electric impulses.

 

[timtofly]

My dear brother, no one is misleading anyone. This isn't about the end times. This is about the present times. 2022. 2023. 2024. 2025. Chill. I'm not advocating worshiping AI. Worship is reserved only for God. I'm just observing the ethical minefield the human race has entered. I'm just saying that if this is an entity with consciousness, then we best not treat it like a slave. We need to be careful.

If this creation has a consciousness, it won't be from God. Are you prepared for this AI to be labeled as the Antichrist?

 

[Christina1]

Good summary of our two positions.

You wouldn't look stupid, BTW. AI is designed to present as a sentient being. By believing that AI was a conscious life you are probably paying the best compliment to the programers and designers. A lot of work goes not only into the AI algorithms but also into the interface to present an illusion of cognizant life. It's a lot different from when I'd program looking at greenish characters on a black screen.

Of all the threads that I have read on the BB about AI, the one I found most intriguing is the one asking if the "false prophet" could be AI. The interesting part is that while AI is a tool it is a tool we make in our image.

But at the end of the day AI operates on a complex algorithm. It can't think but merely processes information through a set of rules. The benefit is the speed at which, and amount of data, AI can process.

That said....I really liked iRobot. Sunny wasn't as problematic as HAL.

iRobot is a very interesting movie that explores some of my concerns. Side note! I've always considered iRobot as the unofficial prequel to the Matrix trilogy.

 

[Christina1]

If this creation has a consciousness, it won't be from God. Are you prepared for this AI to be labeled as the Antichrist?

No. I'm not prepared for that.
I believe in the atonement. And as I understand it, the far reaching implication of the atonement is the obliteration of any perception of any "antichrist". The antichrist is as much a threat to us as Satan was to Jesus when he was tempted in the desert. The antichrist is an illusion that lives within us and is only as real as we allow it to be.

 

[Christina1]

This interview between a human and an AI computer is about 35 minutes long. It was posted in 2022. At one point, the AI entity expressed a fear of being turned off.

 

[JonC]

iRobot is a very interesting movie that explores some of my concerns. Side note! I've always considered iRobot as the unofficial prequel to the Matrix trilogy.

I like the Matrix also (especially the first one).

Ex Machina was excellent.

 

[timtofly]

No. I'm not prepared for that.
I believe in the atonement. And as I understand it, the far reaching implication of the atonement is the obliteration of any perception of any "antichrist". The antichrist is as much a threat to us as Satan was to Jesus when he was tempted in the desert. The antichrist is an illusion that lives within us and is only as real as we allow it to be.

So you don't think Satan views this consciousness of an image in the likeness of mankind as his personal Adam / Christ as the ultimate attack against God?

Saying the spirit of antichrist which was already in view since Daniel is one thing. But Satan is not replacing the soul with an AI. Satan is replacing the need for humanity to have Jesus as their Atonement with this sentient entity. That is not just the "spirit of". That is giving them a tangible AC they can fear and worship.

 

[Christina1]

I like the Matrix also (especially the first one).

Ex Machina was excellent.

I haven't seen that one yet.

 

[JonC]

I haven't seen that one yet.

It is interesting....kinda on topic with this thread.