March 2018

The Machine Learning Paradigm: How AI Can Teach Us About God

It is no secret that AI is becoming a growing part of our lives and institutions. There is no shortage of article touting the dangers (and a few times the benefits) of this development. What is less publicized is the very technology that enables the growing adoption of AI, namely Machine Learning (ML). While ML has been around for decades, its flourishing depended on advanced hardware capabilities that have only become available recently. While we tend to focus on Sci-Fi like scenarios of AI, it is Machine Learning that is most likely to revolutionize how we do computing by enabling computers to act more like partners rather than mere servants in the discovery of new knowledge. In this blog, I explain how Machine Learning is a new paradigm for computing and use it as a metaphor to suggest how it can change our view of the divine. Who says technology has nothing to teach religion? Let the skeptics read on.

What is Machine Learning?

Before explaining ML, it is important to understand how computer programming works. At its most basic level, programs (or code) are sets of instructions that tell the computer what to do given certain conditions or inputs from a user. For example, in the WordPress code for this website, there is an instruction to show this blog in the World Wide Web once I click the button “Publish” in my dashboard. All the complexities of putting this text into a platform that can be seen by people all over the world are reduced to lines of code that tell the computer and the server how to do that The user, in this case me, knows nothing of that except that when I click “Publish,” I expect my text to show up in a web address. That is the magic of computer programs.

Continuing on this example, it is important to realize that this program was once written by a human programmer. He or she had to think about the user and its goals and the complexity of making that happen using computer language. The hardware, in this scenario was simply a blind servant that followed the instructions given to it. While we may think of computers as smart machines they are as smart as they are programmed to be. Remove the instructions contained in the code and the computer is just a box of circuits.

Let’s contrast that with the technique of Machine Learning. Consider now that you want to write a program for your computer to play and consistently win an Atari game of Pong (I know, not the best example, but when you are preparing a camp for Middle Schoolers that is the only example that comes to mind). The programming approach would be to play the game yourself many times to learn strategies to win the game. Then, the player would write them down and codify these strategies in a language the computer can understand. She or he would then spend countless hours writing the code that spells out multiple scenarios and what the computer is supposed to do in each one of them. Just writing about it seems exhausting.

Now compare that with an alternative approach in which the computer actually plays the game and maximizes the score in each game based on past playing experiences. After some initial coding, the rest of the work would be incumbent on the computer to play the game millions of time until it reaches a level of competency where it wins consistently. In this case, the human outsources the game playing to the computer and only monitors the machine’s progress. Voila, there is the magic of Machine Learning.

A New Paradigm for Computing

As the example above illustrates, Machine Learning changes the way we do computing. In a programming paradigm, the computer is following detailed instructions from the programmer. In the ML paradigm, the learning and discovery is done by the algorithm itself. The programmer (or data scientist) is there primarily to set the parameters for how the learning will occur as opposed to giving instructions for what the computer is to do. In the first paradigm, the computer is a blind servant following orders. In the second one, the computer is a partner in the process.

There are great advantages to this paradigm. Probably the most impactful one is that now the computer can learn patterns that would be impossible for the human mind to learn. This opens the space to new discoveries that was previously inaccessible when the learning was restricted to the human programmer.

The downside is also obvious. Since the learning is done through the algorithm, it is not always possible to understand why the computer arrived at a certain conclusion. For example, last week I watched the Netflix documentary on the recent triumph of a computer against a human player in the game of Go. It is fascinating and worth watching in its own right. Yet, I found striking that the coders of Alpha Go could not always tell why the computer was making a certain move. At times, the computer seemed delusional to human eyes. There lies the danger: as we transfer the learning process to the machine we may be at the mercy of the algorithm.

A New Paradigm for Religion

How does this relate to religion? Interestingly enough these contrasting paradigms in computing shed light in a religious context for describing the relationship between humans and God. As the foremost AI Pastor Christopher Benek once said: “We are God’s AI.” Following this logic, we can see how of a paradigm of blind obedience to one of partnership can have revolutionary implications for understanding our relationship with the divine. For centuries, the tendency was to see God as the absolute Monarch demanding unquestioning loyalty and unswerving obedience from humans. This paradigm, unfortunately, has also been at the root of many abusive practices of religious leaders. This is especially dangerous when the line between God and the human leader is blurry. In this case, unswerving obedience to God can easily be mistaken by blind obedience to a religious leader.

What if instead, our relationship with God could be described as a partnership? Note that this does not imply an equal partnership. However, it does suggest the interaction between two intelligent beings who have separate wills. What would be like for humanity to take on responsibility for its part in this partnership? What if God is waiting for humanity to do so? The consequences of this shift can be transformative.

4 Reasons Why We Should be Teaching AI to Kids

In a previous blog, I talked about a multi-disciplinary approach to STEM education. In this blog I want to explore how teaching AI to kids can accomplish those goals while also introducing youngsters to an emerging technology that will greatly impact their future. If you are parent, you may be asking: why should my child learn about AI? Recently, the importance of STEM education has been emphasized by many stakeholders. Yet, what about learning AI that makes it different from other STEM subjects?

First it is important to better define what learning AI means. Lately, the AI term has been used for any instance a computer acts like a human. This varies from automation of tasks all the way to humanoids like Sophia . Are we talking about educating children to build sentient machines? No, at least not at first. The underlying technology that enables AI is machine learning. Simply put, as hinted by its name, these are algorithms that allow computers to learn directly from data or interaction with an environment rather than through programming. This is not a completely automated process as the data scientist and/or developer must still manage the processes of learning. Yet, at its essence, it is a new paradigm for how to use computers. We go from a programming in which we instruct computer to carry out tasks to machine learning where we feed the computer with data so it can discover patterns and learn tasks on its own. The question then is why should we teach AI (machine learning) to kids?

Exposes Them to Coding

Teaching AI to kids start with coding. While we’ll soon have advanced interfaces for machine learning, some that will allow a “drag-and-drop” experience, for now doing machine learning requires coding. That is good news for educational purposes. I don’t need to re-hash here the benefits of coding education. In recent years, there has been a tremendous push to get children to start coding early. Learning to code introduces them to a type of thinking that will help them later in life even if they do not become programmers. It requires logic and mathematical reasoning that can be applied to many endeavors.

Furthermore, generation Z grew up with computers, tablets and smart phones. They are very comfortable with using them and incorporating them into their world. Yet, while large tech companies have excelled in ensuring no child is left without a device, we have done a poor job in helping them understand what is under the hood of all this technology they use. Learning to code is a way to do exactly that: lift up the hood so they can see how these things work. Doing so, empowers them to become creators with technology rather than mere consumers.

Works Well With Gaming

The reality is that AI really started with games. One the first experiment with AI was to make a computer learn to play a game of Checkers. Hence, the combination between AI and gaming is rather complementary. While there are now some courses that teach children to build games, teaching AI goes a step further. They actually get to teach the computer to play games. This is important because games are a common part of their world. Teaching AI with games helps them engage in the topic by bringing it to a territory that is familiar to their imagination.

I suspect that gaming will increasingly become part of education in the near future. What once was the scourge of educators is turning out to be an effective tool to engage children in the learning process. There are clear objectives, instant rewards and challenges to overcome. Teaching machine learning with games, rides this wave of this and enhances it by giving them an opportunity to fine tune learning algorithms with objectives that captivate their imagination.

Promotes Data Fluency

Data is the electricity of the 21st century. Helping children understand how to collect, examine and analyze data sets them up for success in the world of big data. We are moving towards a society where data-driven methods are increasingly shaping our future. Consider for example how data is transforming fields like education, criminal courts and healthcare. This trends shows not signs of slowing down in the near future.

This trend will not be limited to IT jobs. As the sensors become more advanced, data collection will start happening in multi-form ways. Soon fitness programs will be informed, shaped and measured by body sensors that can provide more precise information about our bodies’ metabolism. Sports like Baseball and Football are already being transformed by the use of data. Thus, it is not far-fetched to assume that they will eventually be working in jobs or building business that live on data. They may not all become data scientist or analysts, but they will likely need to be familiar with data processes.

Opens up Discussions About Our Humanity

Because AI looms large in Science-Fiction, the topic opens the way for discussions on Literature, Ethics, Philosophy and Social Studies. The development of AI forces us to re-consider what it means to be human. Hence, I believe it provides a great platform to add Humanities to an otherwise robust STEM subject. AI education can and should include a strong component of reading and writing.

Doing so develops critical thinking and also helps them connect the “how” with the “why”. It is not enough to just learn how to build AI applications but foremost why we should do it. What does it mean to outsource reasoning and decision-making to machines? How much automation can happen without compromising human flourishing? You may think these are adult question but we underestimate our children’s ability to reflect deeply about the destiny of humanity. They, more than us, need to think about these issues for they will inherit this world.

If we can start with them early, maybe they can make better choices and clean up the mess we have made. Also, teaching AI to kids can be a lot easier than we think.

Integrated STEM Education: Thoughtful, Experiential and Practical

In a previous blog, I proposed the idea of teaching STEM with a purpose. In this blog, I want to take a step back to evaluate how traditional STEM education fails to prepare students for life and propose an alternative way forward: Integrated STEM education.

One of the cardinal sins of our 19th century based education system is its inherent fragmentation. Western academia has compartmentalized the questions of “why” and “how” into separate disciplines.[note] While I am speaking based on my experience in the US, I suspect these issues are also prevalent in the Majority World as well.[/note] Let STEM students focus on the “how”(skills) and let the questions of “why”(critical thinking) to philosophers, ethicists and theologians. This way, students are left to make the connection between these questions on their own.

I understand that this will vary for different subjects. The technical rigors and complexity of some disciplines may leave little space for reflection. Yet, if STEM education is all about raising detached observers of nature or obsessed makers of new gadgets, then we have failed. GDP may grow and the economy may benefit from them, yet have we really enriched the world?

One could argue that Liberal Arts colleges already do that. As one who graduated from a Liberal Arts program, there is some truth to this statement. Students are required to take a variety of courses that span Science, Literature, Social Studies, Art and Math. Even so, students take these classes separately with little to no help in integrating them. Rarely they have opportunities to engage in multi-disciplinary projects that challenge them to bring together what they learned. The professors themselves are specialists in a small subset of their discipline often having little experience in interacting outside their disciplinary guild. Furthermore, while a Liberal Arts education does a good job in exposing students to a variety of academic disciplines it does a rather poor job in teaching practical skills. Some students come out of it with the taste and confidence to continue learning. Yet, many leave these degrees confused and end up having to pursue professional degrees in order to pick a career.

Professional training does the opposite. It is precisely what a Liberal Arts education is not: highly practical, short, focused learning for a specific skill. As one who took countless professional training courses, I certainly see their value. Also, they do bring together different disciplines and tend to be project based. The downside is that very few people can efficiently learn anything in week-long 6 hour class days. The student is exposed to the contours of a skill but the learning really happens later when and if that student tries to apply that skill to a real-world work problem. They also never have time to reflect on the implications of what they are doing. Students are often paid by their companies to get the skill quickly so they can increase productivity for the firm. Such focus on efficiency greatly degrades the quality of the learning. Students here are most likely to forget what he or she learned in the long run.

Finally there is learning through experiences. Most colleges recognize that and offer study abroad semesters for students wanting to take their learning to the world. I had the opportunity to spend a summer in South Korea and it truly changed me in enduring ways. The same can be said for less structured experiences such as parenting, doing community service, being involved with a community of faith and work experiences. A word of caution here is that just going through an experience does not ensure the individual actually learns. While some of the learning is assimilated, a lot of it is lost if the individual does not digest the experience through reflection, writing and talking about it to others.

Clearly these approaches in of themselves are incomplete forms of education. A Liberal Arts education alone will only fill one’s head of knowledge (and a bit of pride too). Professional training will help workers get the job done but they will not develop as individuals. Experiences apart from reflection will only produce salutary memories. What is needed is an approach that combines the strengths of all three.

I believe a hands on project-based, ethically reflective STEM education draws from the strength of all of these. It is broad enough like Liberal Arts, skill-building like professional training and experience-rich through its hands-on projects. Above all, it should occur in a nurturing environment where young students are encouraged to take risks while still receiving the guidance so they can learn from their mistakes. To create a neatly controlled environment for learning is akin to the world of movies where main characters come up with plans in a whim and execute on them flawlessly. Real life never happens that way. It is full of failures, setbacks, disappointments and occasionally some glorious successes. The more our education experience mimics that, the better it will prepare students for the real world.

Black Panther: A Powerful Postcolonial, African-Futurist Manifesto

Black Panther is more than a movie, it is a manifesto of possibilities and a vivid expression of Postcolonial imagination. Much has been said about the importance of having an African super-hero. I want to discuss why Black Panther matters to all of us, Western white people included. I never thought I would be able to address Postcolonialism, Theology and Technology in one blog. Black Panther allows me to do just that. I encourage everyone to see it and will do my best to keep this piece free of spoilers.

Back in Seminary, I did an independent study on Theology and Postcolonialism (you can check one of my papers from that class here). In the middle of the last century, as most colonies had gained their independence, Majority World scholars realized that political freedom was not enough to undo the shackles of Colonialism. They realized that colonial paradigms still persisted in the very sources of knowledge of Modernity. Therefore, what was needed was a full deconstruction of knowledge as it was handed to them by Euro-centric scholars. Inspired by Foucault’s idea that speech is power, this movement started first in Literature and then moved to the Social Sciences. This project of deconstruction continues till this day. In my view, Black Panther represents the next step in this progression. If the first Postcolonial authors were there to identify and de-construct Western biases embedded in literature, the writers of Black Panther start the re-construction in the creation of a Postcolonial imagination.

How is that so? First, it is important to say what Black Panther is not. It is not a depiction of African suffering under the White oppressor like 12 Years a Slave. As necessary as this type of movie is, it is still enclosed in a Colonial paradigm that albeit critically still puts the White man at the center of the story. It is also not a depiction of African harsh social realities like Moonlight and City of God. While such narratives are also important and represent progress from the previous category (here minorities are at the center of the story), they lack a prophetic imagination of how things could change.

Black Panther represents a new category of its own. It paints an alternative hopeful image, grounded in the Sci-Fi genre, of what these societies could be if they were to realize their God-given potential independent of Western Colonialism. What impress me most is that the writers went to great lengths to imagine a future that was authentically African even as it become technologically advanced. Therefore, this African Futurism not only portrays a future of what it could be for Majority World but also challenges our current Western ideals of technology. It portrays a technology that is not there to replace but to merge with nature. This sustainable picture is maybe the best gift of African Futurism to the world.

Moreover, I thought that it was important that not only the hero but also the anti-hero was of African descent. Here there is some controversy and push back as Christopher Lebron’s essay brings up. Fair enough, yet a movie that depicted an African hero against a White villain would have missed the opportunity to re-imagine a postcolonial future by re-enforcing the colonial past. I cannot speak for those of African descent. Yet, as one born in the Majority World and inevitably linked to its story of struggle, I can say that true postcolonial imagination happens when we are able to see that our main problems are the ones coming from within. This is very difficult task given the burden of oppressive structures that persist even to the present day. Yet, it is only when the problem become our own, and not the Colonizer’s, that we can recover the power taken from us.

It is encouraging to see how this movie has become a catalyst for the African diaspora all over the world to re-think and re-imagine their identify. It is not just a fantasy that imagines a perfect world without problems but one in which good redeems a hopeless present. Here is where Theology comes in. Wakanda is a great picture of what the Jewish writers envisioned as the Kingdom of God coming to Earth. It does not happen through power or violence but through invitation and outreach. This is the type of Christ-like upside-down power that the white Evangelical church in this country has forgotten. When we align ourselves with those who protect guns and against refugees we have failed to understand the very heart of the gospel. I could say much more but for now, let those who have ears hear.

Black Panther is an invitation for new Postcolonial imaginations to emerge. I call on Latin Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders to give us their version of a hopeful future. Our world will be richer for it. Let the forgotten find their voice, not only of pain but also of creativity, joy and transformation.

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A year after I posted this, I wrote a blog going more into the actual architecture of Wakanda. To read that blog, click here.

Month: March 2018