Thoughts on AI and ChatGPT for the Church
I’m a big movie buff, and back in the day, one of my favorite movies was Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The movie starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton and was about a Terminator sent from the future to protect young John Connor. Machines had sent an upgraded Terminator back in time to kill John Connor as John would be the one to lead an army that would prevent Judgment Day from happening. The movie’s premise centered around the idea that machines would overtake humans and destroy mankind.
Maybe a little over the top, but machines have taken over our lives.
Technology that seemed like Science Fiction years ago is now very much reality.
Artificial Intelligence has come quite a long way. “Deep Fake” Videos are nearly indistinguishable from the real person. Check out this video of the person behind the Viral Tom Cruise Deepfake and how he accomplished it:
While the complications of this technology can be scary (think of video evidence in a courtroom against you), there can also be reasons to be intrigued about this new tech.
With any technology, it can be used for evil, and it can also be used for good.
There have recently been two tools released that are generating lots of buzz.
One is the App “Lensa”
Lensa takes your photos and creates AI versions of you. Obviously, the tech is not quite there yet, based on the images the app produced of me, as I am much cooler in person 🙂, but you can try it for yourself and see what the app creates of you. I’ve seen some cool photos of other friends of mine.
Another project released by OpenAI is ChatGPT. OpenAI is a nonprofit that exists to develop AI technology. ChatGPT allows you to chat directly with an AI program and use it to access information and create content for you.
Chat GPT (Generative Pre-Trained Transformer) is truly revolutionary and is available for public use for free as they are developing it.
Though it has been met with positive reviews, there are some cautions we should be aware of.
The AI promotes itself as a non-bias, non-creative technology. Though when prompting it to argue for traditional Christian conservative values, it struggles. We just need to remember that usually behind Big Tech, there is usually a left-leaning, progressive wizard behind the curtain programming it.
Watch this clip from The Ben Shapiro Show explaining some of the dangers and biases in this project:
That considered, I do see some pretty incredible applications for the church.
I’m not suggesting you plagiarize AI or have AI write and produce all of your content, but having the AI write blogs, produce social media ideas, sermon series title and subtitle ideas, and the like can at least help you get the ball rolling in your idea phase.
You can ask ChatGPT things like:
“List 5 Titles and Subtitles for a Sermon Series on the Book of Acts”
ChatGPT’s Response:
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“The Birth of the Church: A Study of Acts 1-12”
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“The Spread of the Gospel: Acts 13-28”
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“The Power of the Holy Spirit in Acts”
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“The Triumphs and Trials of the Early Church: A Look at Acts”
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“Living Boldly for Christ: Lessons from the Book of Acts”
“Write a short blog post using these 3 points from my Sermon: 1. God is Powerful. 2. God is Patient. 3. God is Protective.”
ChatGPT’s Response:
In today’s world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the challenges and struggles we face daily. From personal struggles to global events, it can sometimes feel like we’re up against impossible odds. But as Christians, we have a powerful source of strength and hope: God.
God is a powerful force in our lives. He created the universe and everything in it, and he holds all things together. This means that no matter what challenges we may face, God is more than capable of helping us overcome them.
But God’s power isn’t just about brute strength. He is also incredibly patient. He doesn’t force us to follow him but instead gives us the choice to do so. And even when we make mistakes or wander from the path he has set for us, he is patient and loving, always ready to forgive and welcome us back into his embrace.
And God isn’t just powerful and patient, he is also protective. He watches over us and guides us, helping us to avoid dangers and pitfalls. He provides for us and protects us from harm, both physically and spiritually.
All of these qualities combine to make God a powerful force in our lives. No matter what challenges we may face, we can trust in his power, patience, and protection to see us through. So let us turn to him in faith, knowing that he is always with us, watching over us, and ready to help us when we need it most.
“List 10 catchy Social Media Post lines of text from my sermon God is Love”
ChatGPT’s Response:
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“God is love, and His love knows no bounds.”
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“In God’s love, we find acceptance and belonging.”
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“God’s love is a love that transforms us from the inside out.”
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“God’s love is not just a feeling, it’s a way of life.”
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“God’s love is the foundation of all that is good and true.”
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“God’s love is the source of our strength and courage.”
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“God’s love is what makes us fully alive.”
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“God’s love is the answer to all of our fears and doubts.”
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“God’s love is the light that guides us through life’s darkest moments.”
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“God’s love is the greatest gift of all, and it is freely given to all who seek it.”
Pretty freaky.
A few closing thoughts (that I am writing myself by the way 🙂 ) –
1: Plagiarism can be a significant issue and can be a struggle. Let’s never use AI to replace what God lays on our hearts to share with others.
2: Humans have an inward desire to connect with other humans. Discipleship happens with real people in real life.
3: This tech will get better, and it would be unwise for us to ignore innovations like this, Virtual Reality and others being more readily accessible.
4: Humans write and program “artificial” intelligence. There is a brain and a bias somewhere, you just have to dig far enough or wait for truth to be exposed. There are real people pulling the levers of the machines.
5: Nothing will replace a person’s need for community and for Jesus.
