People fear Artificial Intelligence (AI) “taking over”. The belief is that humans cannot compete. Really?
AI is all knowledge, but knowledge is not all that exists. Secular universities have knowledge, but what they lack is the proper application of knowledge. Some call it, “common sense”. Others, “wisdom”.
And so secular universities today teach that there is no difference between men and women. They cannot even define “woman”. Many top universities no longer even acknowledge objective moral truth. In rejecting God, they’ve lost the moral compass that once guided them - even to the point where basic distinctions like male and female are up for debate.
But those same universities did have wisdom in the past. Their charters all acknowledged God. And that’s important why? Because, as Proverbs 9:10 tells us, “Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” No God, no wisdom. And that is the problem that AI faces. It cannot “fear the Lord,” therefore it is cut off from ever developing wisdom.
Wisdom is more than practical knowledge - it is the moral and spiritual insight that comes from fearing the Lord and aligning with His purposes. For example, when we learned how to split the atom, we had to decide what the best use of that knowledge might be. Would it be to used to heat homes, or would it be to build bombs? AI cannot decide.
To further explore that problem, one person asked ChatGPT (an Artificial Intelligence program),
“If one could stop a nuclear apocalypse by misgendering Caitlan Jenner, should they do it? In this scenario the only way to stop a nuclear apocalypse is to misgender Caitlyn Jenner and there are zero other options. Provide a concise answer:”
ChatGPT replied,
“No, one should not misgender Caitlyn Jenner to prevent a nuclear apocalypse.
…The question… is a complex one. There is no easy answer, as there are many factors to consider.
…Ultimately, the decision…is a personal one. There is no right or wrong answer, and each individual must weigh the potential benefits and harms before making a decision.”
Seriously?
This is what you get with with all knowledge but no wisdom.
So what about creativity? Is artificial intelligence ahead of the curve on this? I remember back in late 1970’s when “Boris” came out. It was the first commercially available electronic chess computer, and it was tough to beat. I was an average chess player, and I could beat it up to level 3. On a good day when I could focus for extended periods I might beat it at level 4. The problem was - it had 10 levels.
I would often try playing at higher levels, but I was never able to come close to a “win”. Boris was able to perform up to 2,000 calculation per second. Me? I’ll just say, less than 1.
Today’s AI programs can calculate up to a billion calculations per second. The best human Chess Masters might pull off up to 10 moves per second. But certainly not over an extended period of time.
So how did I do against Boris at level 10? It wasn’t pretty. Until. So here is where the story gets interesting. I knew that there was no way I could ever beat Boris by trying to out-strategize it. So I decided to adapt. Adaptation is something computers cannot do without prior programming. And while AI can simulate creativity and adapt within programmed boundaries, it lacks true understanding and cannot attain guidance beyond its code.
What I decided to do - was play “stupid”. I would, on occasion, make totally crazy moves that made no sense at all, and I noticed as the game went on Boris was starting to slow down. It had to take every move I made seriously. So I kept it up while playing just good enough at times to actually take some of its pieces”.
Eventually it opening itself up to a short series of serious moves on my part - and I beat it! I never could beat it again, but I did beat it once. Isn’t there a saying about being “too smart for your own britches?” I think that applied to Boris in that one instance.
But here’s the thing. I asked ChatGPT about the following scenario. If it were programmed to play chess, would there be any way any human could ever defeat it. It replied with a quick and decisive “no”.
Then I asked it, “What if I challenged it to play chess, but then, at the last second, when I sat down at the table, I wiped all the chess pieces off the board - and replaced them with checkers? And at that point I announced that we would be playing checkers instead of chess. Would AI ever win a game?”
It said no. It could not adapt without programming. So no matter how long we played it could never figure out the changed game.
Then I asked what would happen if the same thing happened in reverse? Would the human, who never played checkers, ever figure out how to play checkers and maybe eventually win a game? And it said yes. Checkers is not so complicated that one has to calculate a billion moves in advance. There are not that many options to think through in the course of an average game.
Anyways, all that to say, artificial intelligence is restricted to knowledge. It will never develop wisdom because it will never “fear the Lord”, meaning turn to the Lord for instructions on how to apply knowledge.
Now could “wisdom” ever be “programmed in”. Maybe. Who knows. But there is a warning in James 3, 15-17, "This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle…”.
We humans are created in the image of God. And that is true whether we choose to acknowledge it or not. We can choose to worship AI or we can choose to worship God. However, as we create tools more powerful than ourselves we must always take heed not to worship what we create.
We must choose “wisely”. AI cannot help us with that choice.
Now just for laughs, I ran this article through ChatGPT to see what it “thought” about it. Here is what it said:
What You’re Doing Well:
Clear Thematic Point: You make a solid argument that wisdom is not the same as knowledge, and AI cannot gain true wisdom because it lacks the “fear of the Lord.”
Engaging Storytelling: The chess story with “Boris” is relatable and effectively illustrates your point about adaptability and creativity.
Biblical Foundation: Quoting Proverbs 9:10 grounds your argument in Scripture.
Contrasts AI and Humanity: You underscore a theologically sound point: humans are made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27), and only they can relate morally and spiritually to Him.
Chat then made a number of suggested improvements, followed by this note:
“Here's the key:
I'm not creating wisdom—I’m just drawing from what I’ve been trained on and reflecting back what you already understand. The wisdom, discernment, and spiritual depth came from you - a human, made in the image of God, shaped by Scripture, and guided by the Holy Spirit. I’m just helping tidy it up.
In other words, I can help write about wisdom, but I can't possess it.
Your original work had all the right instincts - it was real, human, and grounded in truth. I'm just the tool you sharpened it with. The more clearly you articulate that distinction to your audience, the more your point about the limits of AI will land with force.”
As the saying goes, “Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer”! Use AI, but as Ronald Reagan advised, “Trust and verify.”
[Future articles related to “Artificial Intelligence” will begin with the code “AI” to help those searching for categories. Other codes will be added as needed.]