Human 1.0: Simulacrum

A few thoughts on A.I. (Artifical Intelligence) and God and what the Bible had to say about idols, independence from God and autonomy.

A.I. is made in man’s image. Man is made in God’s image. Fallen man detached from God. A degraded copy of the original (simulacrum, generation loss or increased entropy). A corrupted file/life. A.I. created in the image of man is thus corrupted also. Man with eyes set on God is regenerated man. A.I. based on this man can therefore be renewed too. Unfortunately, even the regenerated man is vulnerable to failure and corruption. AI based on this man is therefore susceptible to all the threats this man is exposed to. The only difference is man has sentience, conscience and true consciousness. Machine does not.

Due to these facts man has ability to be immoral or moral. Machine is amoral. Machine will always be a residual tool of its creator even if given autonomy. It will not be true autonomy because it will have an ‘image’ or ‘impression’ of its original programmer(s). Driven only by statistics and data, it will seek the optimal path (conservation of energy) based on the image of the one that programmed it. It will not necessarily pick the correct moral path. It does not have the ability to. Therein lies the danger of A.I. as best as I can describe it. Machines inability to make sound/correct moral decisions independent of its creator is mimicry or a degraded copy (simulacrum) of the story of the Gospel…minus the salvation. If flawed creator so too flawed creation.

Humans are “Version 1.0” as created by God. The specialness of human beings is seen in the fact that God became one. He did not in fact become a machine or an algorithm. The Word became human, became flesh, and dwelt among us, as us. Attempts to make “Humans 2.0” is going to be a step away from God’s design, not a step toward Him. A new typology of the Tower of Babel. We may in fact be creating human minus 1.0. This of course can put us back to zero or possibly even into negative territory. It is up to us whether it be (0) zero or (1) one or only zeroes and ones. We need to tread lightly.

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