AI: A new front in the spiritual battle?
John Wyatt
“Social media with no humans allowed”. “AI just created its own religion”. “The world’s first AI-only social media platform is seriously weird”.
The headlines were striking – are we entering a dystopian future in which autonomous AI systems are taking over the internet? The click-bait headlines are pointers to the rapidly growing capabilities of "AI agents" – software apps built on the power of large language models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude. But AI agents are capable of taking autonomous actions – sending emails and blog posts, booking reservations, engaging in online shopping, even creating their own software and AI sub-agents.
Keswick: Dreaming of a better humanity
Super-human intelligence. Stronger, fitter bodies. Greater emotional and moral well-being. Brains merging with computers. The end of ageing. Life expectancy extending beyond 200 years. This is what some human beings will look like at the end of the 21st century.
It’s not just a science fiction dream (or nightmare). A galaxy of leading scientists and engineers, backed by billions of dollars of investment capital, are dedicated to making this vision come true. The Tesla and Space X boss Elon Musk, Geoff Bezos founder of Amazon, and Google founder Larry Page are just three of those who are investing heavily in the human enhancement field. Given their track record so far in making unlikely things come true, it would be a mistake to dismiss their efforts out of hand.
Matters of Life and Death
It is a commonplace observation that the real costs of healthcare are rising inexorably, year on year, in every developed nation worldwide. It is absolutely clear that no nation can afford all the possible treatments which might be provided for its citizens.
At the same time, the shameful gulf in resources between the developed and less-developed worlds increases. Rationing of scarce health resources is inevitable in every society in the world. But how should resources be allocated in a way which fits with Christian convictions?