Godlike?
“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)
I read a fascinating article recently. Check it out, if you have a mind.
It’s super nerdy, but its basic thesis is this: the rise of automation, specifically AI, correlates with a rapid decline in what researchers term “religion.” In developed countries such as Singapore, South Korea, and the United States, the rise of the “nones” (those who have no religious affiliation) is accelerating as people shift away from traditional faith-based sources of comfort, support, and assistance.
Instead, they turn to automated technology, specifically AI. In a phenomenon known as “algorithm appreciation,” they do so even during instances when humans offer quantifiably superior responses. They prefer their AI-aided, autonomous search to determine good from evil while constructing a preferred future for themselves in a manner that gives new context to Genesis 3:5 (quoted above).
I’m not a Luddite, someone who opposes new technology or ways of working, but this seems chilling to me. Why? Two reasons. First, it highlights motivation: people who seek “god” because of self-interest. Bernard of Clairvaux noted that one of the lowest forms of love is loving God for one’s own sake. That’s not wrong. The Bible literally says to love others as we love ourselves, but the motivation to love God in such a manner is soaked with self-interest, often to its detriment.
It seems God accommodates our self-centeredness, even as He woos us.
The second is more problematic. The Enemy cannot create. He can only counterfeit. But his schemes, from the Garden to today, while unoriginal, are still subtly seductive and creatively adaptable. As a result, the First Lie now enjoys a technological accelerant, namely the power of AI: “You can be god… (even more so in 2025!).” During the Middle Ages, you needed a castle, lots of land, serfs, and an army to be a “god.” Now you only need a phone.
And we fall in love, more than a little, with the pride-riddled Serpent’s promise, namely the power to be a god. However, as James 4:6 reminds us, God invites humility: “…God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”
So, this week, let’s gather and pray for a move of the Spirit that humbles us and captivates our hearts as a distinct community, B4Church:
- That we would always reject the Lie of the Enemy while receiving the fruits of human progress, wisely and well
- That we would humbly embody the power of the Spirit, something no server farm can mimic
- That we would lead with love, something every human heart is built to recognize and respond to.
Love ya!
Pastor Steve