AI and your children’s future

Having children of my own and being a technologist, I ponder about how to prepare my children for a future where AI in America is as common as an iPhone. A world where large corporations use AI in every applicable area, but still need human input and guidance. This is a helpful outlook for many reasons, but it has pitfalls.

Our children should be taught everything we know about, in hopes that it will give them a societal or educational advantage. Why? Because AI will and already has raised the bar for what entry level means. It happens almost every generation, but this time an even more dynamic bar has been put in place. AI will learn the entry level bar and raise it every generation.

Therefore, Christian parents should teach their children everything they should know to stay ahead of entry level. This is because AI will be able to do entry level things, but be governed and reviewed by human experts of those things.

An example from Anthropic, regarding Claude Explains:

According to a spokesperson, the blog is overseen by Anthropic's "subject matter experts and editorial teams," who "enhance" Claude's drafts with "insights, practical examples, and […] contextual knowledge." - slashdot

This new future rewards those who are not lazy, but are diligent and actively using their intellectual and physical abilities to the max. Those who are sluggards and average will likely be subject to replacement. Think of the biblical proverbs (e.g., Proverbs 20:4, 21:25, 26:15; 2 Cor. 9:6; etc)

AI is unable to be creative or innovative on its own, or even able to determine the next course of action for something new without human input. AI only works within and around its training dataset, whereas humans work beyond it.

Now back to my "AI outlook" comment. AI is creating a helpful situation and also a dire situation. It is helpful theologically and socially. But, like many things without Christ at the center, it has it’s dire pitfalls.

Theologically, it honors the mandate to be fruitful and multiply, to steward what the triune God has given us as His image bearers. Namely, in terms of resources and abilities. AI is not unrighteous in and of itself; it is a reflection of our Creator in many regards.

Socially, it brings mankind together, at least our collective knowledge and capabilities. It forces us to embrace the image of God, specifically in being truthful and not murdering. How could AI predict anything useful or do anything to help humanity if it only was fed lies about reality? AI was primarily (not entirely) trained based on information that reflects the reality that the triune God of the Bible has brought into existence. Meaning, laws of physics, physiology, mathematics, chemistry, and other sciences all echo the Law-giver.

One of the dire pitfalls, is that it is going to be a distraction from eschatology (the Judgment) and AI is a means to bring about the eschatological Babylon, by way of blinding us to our sin and need for a Savior, the Christ. But, perhaps more on that later.

For now, remember the example God the Father gave us in John 5:19-20 about teaching His Son in His human nature:

Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel.

In summary, do you, as a loving father (or parent), teach your children all the good things you know? We should, so we can be more like our Father in heaven is with His only begotten Son in the flesh.