There has been a lot of discussion over the past few years about Artificial Intelligence, often referred to simply by its abbreviation of AI. I’ve posted a few times about technology in general on this blog before (“Thinking Theologically About Technology,” “Technology and the Story of Scripture,” “7 Tips for Using Technology Wisely”), but I was recently encouraged to offer some thoughts focused specifically on AI. Around the same time that I was encouraged to do so, I was reading through the book of Joshua along with others as part of Faith Church’s 4 Year Bible Reading Plan as well as discussing it on the podcast we created as a supplement to that Bible Reading Plan.
Joshua 7-8 recounts what happened to the people of Israel at an ancient town called “Ai,” and our discussion of that passage on the podcast noted the strange fact that the English name for that city is exactly the same as that of this modern phenomenon. Obviously, the “Ai” of this passage is very different from the AI we are dealing with today, and the purpose of this passage is not to tell us how we are to deal with technology in general or AI in particular. Yet, I couldn’t help but wonder if there might be some interesting ideas in this passage that might have particular relevance for us as we discern how to approach the field of Artificial Intelligence. Thus, I thought it would be fun to kick off the series of requested posts on AI by reflecting a bit on this account in Joshua about “Ai” and then transition to this modern topic that warrants our attention.
I do want to give the disclaimer that I’m not advocating for a general approach to the Bible where we find random connections between words, letters, and numbers and build a theology upon them; that is neither how language works in general nor a sound way to interpret the Bible! What I do think this can remind us, though, is that the Bible is truly helpful and beneficial to our lives today, as the principles found in the ancient text are relevant to guide us into areas that the Bible does not directly address because they were not things that ancient people even dreamed of, much less dealt with.
Danger is Found When Not Faithful to the Lord
Israel’s interaction with the city of Ai starts out with defeat. This defeat is surprising both because it comes right after their victory over Jericho (though it is good to remember that they didn’t really do a lot to win the Battle of Jericho as God knocked down the mighty walls!) and also because Ai didn’t seem all that strong when the people scouted out the land (see Joshua 7:2-3). It seems to me that their overconfidence in their abilities and lack of consultation of the Lord may have played a role in their defeat, but the ultimate reason is that they were “unfaithful” to the Lord. One of them – a man named Achan – had kept some of the items that they were called to destroy when they captured Jericho (Joshua 7:20-21). He was drawn to things that might have seemed shiny and useful and in the process ignored the Lord’s commands (Joshua 7:24-26). This was disastrous not only for him but also for his whole family – and for the people of Israel as some died in battle because of his disobedience (Joshua 7:5).
This passage reminds us of the importance of complete obedience to the Lord and His Word, neither ignoring it nor seeking to justify our desires to do things out of accord with His specific instructions. In addition, it shows us that we are to look to God first and dedicate all things to him; everything belongs to Him.
While it is important to understand the nature of things, like AI in order to be able to evaluate how to – and not to – use it, we can’t let such study or observation divert our attention from knowing God and following His Word. Let us first listen to God and make sure that we are keeping His commands in all that we do. God’s command for us is not to oppose or resist technology per se, but to make sure that our use of all technology serves His biggest command – to love Him and love others. If we don’t have that in mind and follow it, we may experience some negative consequences. Rather than keeping things or using things for our own purposes, we should seek to utilize everything we have and dedicate all of it to God and His plan and purposes.
Don’t Be Discouraged or Afraid
After Achan is put to death, God tells Joshua to lead the people of Israel into battle against Ai again. God’s call to do so begins by telling Joshua: “Don’t be afraid or discouraged” (8:1). Such a call makes sense, as they were getting ready to attack a group that had previously defeated them in battle. This is not the only place that God calls for His people not to be afraid of discouraged. In fact, it is not the only place in Joshua where we see this call, as God tells Joshua in chapter 1 not to be discouraged or afraid but rather to be the opposite: strong and courageous.
The world of AI can strike fear in us. Some of those fears are likely reasonable, as we have seen how various pieces of technology over the years have had negative effects on our world and potentially even on us personally. We may also have fears grounded less in reality and more from movies, as a common thread in science-fiction movies is that AI will eventually seek to take over and oppose humans. From what I have read, I’m not sure how likely this could ever be, but even if it is….Christians shouldn’t be afraid. In the same way that the people of Israel should not have feared the inhabitants of Canaan who were big and strong, so we should not be afraid of AI. Rather than thinking of the worst-case scenarios, we can also think of the “best-case scenario” and how God can use various means possible – even the evil that occurs in this world through human efforts and ingenuity – to bring about His plan of salvation. Let’s not be discouraged or afraid, but confident in the Lord. Such confidence does not lead to naiveness, though, as the people still had to walk into battle with a good plan (see Joshua 8:3-23). Such plans, though, should strive from trust in God and belief in His power and sovereignty rather than fear of what man or his inventions can do.
Destroying the Opposing King But Not The Elements of Benefit
The people of Israel then follow their new plan and end up destroying the city and those who live in it, including the king (8:22-28). This is similar to what happened in Jericho, but one interesting little difference is that they do take the plunder of cattle and livestock (8:26). In some ways, they are now allowed to do what Achan had impermissibly done! We see the same thing – destroying the people and city but keeping the plunder – happen in later battles in Joshua, like the battle at Hazor (see Joshua 11:1-14). Jericho would seem to be the anomaly here and that very likely is because it is the first town of the conquest so the people were effectively giving over to God the “firstfruits” of their conquest. It is tough to read about the destruction of the people in the land, but the reason for this was ultimately to uphold true worship of God, as they would lead the people astray to false gods. We need to guard against the temptations to drift from God to other gods (such as influence, efficiency, production, profitability, etc.); we are easily swayed away from God and His ways. We are not commanded to destroy those who oppose God or may misuse His creation, but we need to be ready to resist their advances and recognize that technology is a place in which Satan can push His agenda.
Just as the people did not destroy, as they kept things that could help and benefit them, so I don’t think this is a call to completely and totally resist technology like AI; rather, it is a reminder that it might be “plundered” and used for good purposes. In fact, this might be a good reminder that things can be redeemed rather than simply destroyed – though I recognize that as potentially stretching the overarching teaching of this passage. We should recognize, however, that while some may be designing or using technology for the wrong reasons, God may still have His people utilize it in a way that honors Him. Don’t let the misuse of things by others cause you to oppose or overlook technology.
Don’t Worry….I’m Not Done with This Topic
I sought to use the account about Ai to give us some general principles about thinking about AI, noting how some principles and ideas that flow from the passage may actually have some special relevance for this issue that God’s people didn’t deal with then but definitely are dealing with now. I hope they prove useful in starting this conversation about how Christians should approach this burgeoning and complicated subject. I’ll offer more thoughts, including defining more of what exactly it is, in the next post.
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