As a writer, I’ve been watching what’s happening with artificial intelligence (AI) pretty closely. I’ve seen many of my colleagues struggle. I’ve watched them get laid off as publications lean toward smaller teams that use AI tools to create content. But I’ve also seen how AI can assist. It can help people get organized or see the bigger picture so they can do more good. My view of AI thus is a mixed bag.
But as I interact with professionals this technological shift has affected, I hear one sentiment a lot.
“Whether we like it or not, AI is the future. We have to adapt if we don’t want to be left behind.”
I cringe every time I hear it.
All we can do is speculate
The professional world thrives on certainty. We spend countless hours trying to get the data that will help us come to some definitive conclusion we feel confident about. We like to feel like we know.
But the reality is, whether it’s about AI or anything else, we don’t know. The best we can do is speculate.
As a Christian, I have to accept that God paints the future. Even if the data in front of me suggests 99.99 percent certainty, He can turn the wheel in a completely different direction with less effort than it takes us to blink.
Practically speaking, this matters to you because the pressure to conform to the 99.99 percent of data is enormous. People are insisting that accepting AI is the only path. That you must comply and jump on the bandwagon. More aggressive types will use the “AI is the future line” to push you buy. On a deep level, they understand and take advantage of your FOMO and appeal to your desire to seem intelligent.
Do not allow that pressure to cloud your judgment.
It’s not about what everyone else is doing. It’s about what God needs you to do.
Are you prepared to honor God despite AI?
Maybe God will put AI in your toolbox. He might give you a vision of how to use it for His purposes. But He might not. Just because something is popular in the world doesn’t mean God puts His stamp on it. In fact, what’s popular in the world is often first to get His clear rejection. If He shows you a path that doesn’t have AI in it, you must be willing to go against the grain if necessary, just as Noah did when everyone told Him his ark was a joke.
Or, consider this. Even if God allows a future that is largely AI-driven, how will you live in it? Will you be able to discern as well as you did before? Or, because of the temptation of the machine, will you have to be more proactive in asking for the wisdom necessary to do the right thing? What are you doing now to prepare yourself to hold your integrity despite AI later?
Remember, nobody knows the direction of the world but God. People who act like they know are probably the most lost, but you can be the one to show them the way.