AI: Three recommended articles to get us ready for what's coming
Gratis post
Later this week, I will be posting on the subject of AI (chatbots in particular, but also more generally) and the mystical/ascetical life. I think it will hold your interest; it may also prove disturbing and not a little spooky. The proposed title is “Ouija on Steroids,” which might give you some idea of what my focus will be.
To prepare you for it, I recommend three articles for preparation. They may leave you with creepy feelings even before my article appears. The unsettling aspect in all this is that the problems are real and affecting lives. Obviously, some people are psychologically fragile, and the dangers posed to them are not strictly assignable to the technology alone. That said, I don’t dismiss the thought that other factors may be involved.
You can read all three by clicking on the titles below.
The first article, which may be the most disturbing of the lot, is from Rolling Stone, dated May 4th. It’s entitled: “People Are Losing Loved Ones to AI-Fueled Spiritual Fantasies.”
It can also be found here.
The second comes from Time (December 18, 2024). Its provocative title is “New Research Shows AI Strategically Lying.”
Lastly, this appeared today (May 6th) on BBC News. It’s called “The people refusing to use AI.”
I’d say “Enjoy,” but I have my doubts that that would be a natural reaction.
I look forward to what you have to say. In my sermon on Sunday I commented on AI as the world’s solution to our sense that we need to be more than we are. I prefer your pessimism (loved the background on that word!) to the optimism I have encountered among people who see this stuff as a good preaching aid.
Instead of creepy I feel encouraged that these 3 valuable articles exist and thanks to you I and others can start exploring this alarming situation.
Looking forward to your responses.