I keep reading stories about AI going rogue. This week OpenAI canceled its next model because it failed safety tests and was more willing to lie to users than earlier versions. With Halloween coming up, I honestly can’t tell if this is superintelligence or clever marketing.
What I do know is that most of us are on our screens all day. And more faith leaders are now speaking out against how fast AI is spreading.
I’m torn on this. I’ve worked in tech for a long time and I’m generally an optimist. But I worry about what all this screen time is doing to people. When our attention is pulled in every direction, we lose touch with faith and with each other. That’s part of why I built EventCarpooling. I wanted to get those closest to me off their phones and spending time together in person. For example, I created an events newsletter for the Austin area so folks can signal interest in what they want to do together.
There’s data behind the general decline of religion, too. A study of 81 countries found that as internet use goes up, religion tends to go down, even after accounting for things like education and income. The biggest drop was in people calling themselves religious. People who still attend services in person held up better. The good news is that there is a rise in IRL for services, socializing, and return to office policies.
That study was about the internet, but I think AI will make it worse. People are already using chatbots as friends and advisors, and apps keep getting better at holding our attention.
Jesus asked what good it is to gain the whole world and lose your soul. I think about that when I watch tech companies race to profit from AI. They rarely talk about what their products do to people’s lives. I saw similar get-rich-quick booms in 1999 and 2007, and regular people paid the price both times.
To be fair, canceling a risky model shows some companies are taking safety seriously. The AI rollout plan remains unclear across most institutions. Whether or not AI is superintelligent, it’s built by people under pressure to ship fast and make money.
So what’s the rollback plan? I don’t think it will come from the tech industry. It has to start with us: setting screen-free time at home, going to faith-based services and community events in person, and pushing our political leaders to take this more seriously. Guardrails are needed.
Sources:
Article: More internet is associated with less faith, according to a new analysis of 81 countries
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