Can I trust AI

 

2 Tim 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

I believe that the modern application of Paul’s advice to Timothy - to correctly handle the word of truth – has to do with the careful evaluating of what AI generates. It can produce content that sounds like religious truth, that appears well organized, fluent and even theologically skilful. But to what extent should we actually trust what is produced?

The large language models (LLM) that generative AI systems use to gather information from, are not Bible databases. These language models generate text by predicting the next word based on statistical patterns learned during training. What this means, is that it is increasingly not retrieving a verse from a Bible source, but chooses what seems to be a best-fit answer, based on statistical estimation – which really boils down to guessing what would fit here.

The Bible itself does not depend on guesswork; every verse is there with serious intent, rooted in thousands of years of accurate copying from original texts. But AI is drawing its answers from vast numbers of languages, quotations, paraphrases, commentaries, sermons, articles, blogs, etc. Who is to say which of these are simply misquotations from who knows where?

This is why everything coming out of the generative AI system must be evaluated, using the Bible itself, before it is preached or taught. An AI-answer may be mostly right but still be wrong in concepts that matter.

1 Thess 5:21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. is the way the church must handle AI in these times. We have to test the content of what we receive very carefully, using actual Bibles as references, and not rely on what we have heard or read somewhere else.

Anyone who addresses a congregation, (pastors/teachers/travelling ministers) especially should beware when they reach a point where they start using AI exclusively to write their sermons for them - and not using it just as a tool, maybe to improve language or organisation. AI can help with so many administrative things and if used correctly can be a very effective tool. But it cannot be used as the only source when dealing with sermon or teaching content, the Holy Spirit is the only One Who should be giving guidance on this!

Pearls to ponder:

Modern technology like cell phones, laptops, AI systems, etc. are all tools that can be used either for good, or with disastrous effects. Wisdom concerning this comes only from walking with the Holy Spirit and staying grounded in the Bible – both of which depends on whether we choose to make it happen. Are you prepared to choose to spend time with Holy Spirit and learn to recognize His voice, and to read your Bible diligently?

TRUTH