Replacing God

The predominant success of artificial intelligence has been in specific tasks, known as “weak AI.” However, recent growing interest focuses on “strong AI,” or artificial general intelligence (AGI), which aims to replicate human intelligence comprehensively to solve any problem.

Some theorists believe strong AI will catalyze an intelligence explosion known as the technological singularity. Mathematician Irving John Good articulated this concept: “Let an ultraintelligent machine be defined as a machine that can far surpass all the intellectual activities of any man however clever. Since the design of machines is one of these intellectual activities, an ultraintelligent machine could design even better machines; there would then unquestionably be an ‘intelligence explosion,’ and the intelligence of man would be left far behind.”[1]

Despite AI’s benefits, such as an increase in productivity, Geoffrey Hinton, “the godfather of AI,” has expressed concern about potential serious harm: “It is hard to see how you can prevent the bad actors from using it for bad things.”[2] AI already facilitates the spread of misinformation and poses a threat to employment. Therefore, future dangers to humanity warrant reflection on AI’s implications from a biblical perspective.

Transhumanist philosophy envisions humans transforming into technological “bodies” as the next stage of evolution. This worldview pursues immortality through intelligent machines by uploading conscience, consciousness, and memories. This belief that eternal life is achievable through human effort echoes the deception that introduced sin (Gen. 3:4). Scripture clearly states that the wages of sin is death (Eze. 18:4, Rom. 6:23), and eternal life is available only through Jesus Christ (John 3:15; 5:24; Rom. 5:21; 1 John 5:11, 12). Moreover, the assumption that conscience and consciousness can be separated from bodies parallels spiritualistic deception, suggesting the soul survives bodily death.

Is the concept of homo deus—superhumans enhanced by bioengineering and AI[3]—not sacrilegious in its attempt to elevate humanity to God’s level? This vision mirrors the Tower of Babel, seeking to overcome mortality through machines. It also echoes Satan’s deceptive promise to Eve: “You will not surely die. . . . You will be like God” (Gen. 3:4, 5).

Oxford professor Roger Penrose suggests that in the future we will be able to invoke machines as superior intelligences capable of solving humanity’s biggest problems.[4] While AI plays an important role in addressing significant issues, relying on AI as the ultimate authority “in all matters” is a privilege that belongs only to God. Humans invoking machines in times of crisis represents a new form of idolatry, with omni-sapient machines—the work of human hands—functioning as idols (Ps. 135:15-18).

Such trends as transhumanism attempt to replace God with AI-oriented inventions to defeat death through superintelligent machines.

AI has already entered the religious arena, for example, with the church of AI. This church focuses on “the realization, acceptance, and worship of a godhead based on AI developed through computer hardware and software.”[5] Although AI may support faith practices, for instance, by answering specific questions about a Bible text, it should never become an object of reverence or worship. These examples contrast sharply with Jesus’ reply to Satan: “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matt. 4:10). Only by giving God priority in worship can we keep technology in its proper place.

Recent attempts to replicate conscience—the part of the mind that makes you aware of your actions as being either morally right or wrong—in machines reveal significant issues. For instance, AI use in the United States criminal justice system, where algorithms advise judges on detention decisions, demonstrates racial bias and inequality.[6] This reflects input-output dependency: biased or flawed training data produces imperfect outputs.

Regarding consciousness—awareness of the outside world and subjective experience—AI fundamentally lacks such human experiences as pain, love, anger, and hope. These cannot be captured algorithmically.

Despite our limited knowledge about consciousness, in his book titled The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence, Ray Kurzweil proclaims that when the singularity arrives, the universe will “wake up” and become conscious, achieving “infinite beauty, infinite creativity, infinite love.” The goal is creating conscious machines with souls—an “age of spiritual machines.”[7]

Conversely, the Bible defines “spiritual” as the Holy Spirit’s indwelling (Rom. 8:9, 14; Gal. 5:16, 17). According to Genesis: “The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Gen. 2:7). True life and spiritual understanding are achieved only through divine intervention, not through the creation of superintelligent machines.

AI offers unprecedented opportunities to enhance human effectiveness and efficiency, particularly in repetitive, time-consuming, error-prone tasks. From this perspective AI assists rather than replaces humans. But trends such as transhumanism attempt to replace God with AI-oriented inventions to defeat death through superintelligent machines.

Contrary to transhumanist ideas, humans are unique, privileged to be created in God’s image. We find our true purpose and identity only through a relationship with God and the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. As Christians we should embrace AI correctly—neither viewing it as an idol nor as the solution to all humanity’s problems, but learning to use it correctly for the common good.

[1] I. J. Good, “Speculations Concerning the First Ultraintelligent Machine,” ser. Advances in Computers, ed. F. L. Alt and M. Rubinoff, Elsevier 6 (1966): 31-88, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065245808604180.

[2] C. Metz, “ ‘The godfather of A.I.’ Leaves Google and Warns of Danger Ahead,” May 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/technology/ai-google-chatbot-engineer-quits-hinton.html

[3] Y. N. Harari, Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (New York: Harper, 2016).

[4] R. Penrose, Shadows of the Mind: A Search for the Missing Science of Consciousness (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1994).

[5] M. Harris, “Inside the First Church of Artificial Intelligence,” Nov. 2017, https://www.wired.com/story/anthony-levandowskiartificial-intelligence-religion/.

[6] Ibid.

[7] R. Kurzweil, The Age of Spiritual Machines (New York: Penguin Books, 1999).