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Always artificial, no matter how advanced

Always artificial, no matter how advanced


Always artificial, no matter how advanced

With experts simultaneously warning of danger and promising amazing things from artificial intelligence, a Christian professor remembers the value of human life.

As humorous as the prospect of hearing Hillary Clinton's voice complimenting Ron DeSantis may be, some people remember "The Terminator" and worry that artificial intelligence (AI) will take over the world and destroy humanity.

Thacker, Jason (Boyce College) Thacker

Jason Thacker, who teaches philosophy and ethics at Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky, points out that for all the amazement it may inspire, artificial intelligence is still the product of human effort.

"From a Christian perspective, we know … God has breathed life into us (Genesis 1:27), how he has created us -- that we create, but we don't create like God," he points out. "We make things; God creates things."

He adds that the AI of the day is narrowly focused. Though it can do specific tasks with speed and skill, that is a long way from broad intelligence.

"My toddler sons actually outperform those machines in a wide array of tasks," Thacker relays.

Moreover, no matter how advanced it gets, he asserts that AI will never gain human value.

"Our value, worth, [or] dignity isn't based on the utility," he notes. "It's not based on the things we do, but it's based on who we are."

Thacker recently told AFN that Christians should be confident that the Word of God can speak to issues like AI, even though the technology was millennia away when it was written.