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Author: Elias Kruger

I am husband, father, data scientist and lay theologian. I blog about the intersection of theology, science and technology longing for integration and the flourishing of life.

Can AI Usher in a New Reformation?

As the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation approaches, I want to offer some thoughts on how emerging technologies like AI will revolutionize the face of Christianity. At first, these two seem mostly disconnected yet this could not be further from the truth. AI and other emerging technologies have the potential to disrupt, re-organize, and re-arrange the institutional church for centuries to come. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let me frame this question by first examining the role of technology in the Reformation 500 years ago

Simply put: without the printing press, there would not have been a Reformation in the early 1500’s Europe. With it, Luther and other Reformers were able to disseminate their ideas quickly, bringing turmoil and political unrest for most of Europe. This technological innovation sped up the process of disseminating new ideas enough to irreversibly change the course of history. Now individuals could own a physical copy of the Bible and that changed everything. Would the Reformation have succeeded without it? It is possible but it certainly would have taken much longer and have looked very different from what it did. The printing press enabled unprecedented access to knowledge that would lead to challenging the Roman Catholic’s claim of truth and usher in new centers of authority not just for religion but for reality itself. Along with the Enlightenment, they would lead to the scientific and technological revolutions of the centuries that followed.

Internet as the Printing Press of the 21st Century

At first glance, one could say that the Internet could play a similar role in our times. Internet extended exponentially the access to knowledge that the printing press had started. It allowed individuals anywhere in the world to access information in a revolutionary way. The individual did not need to own a physical copy anymore but could access the text electronically in real-time. Furthermore, with the increase in bandwidth and the rise of Internet 2.0, the dissemination of information was no longer bound to text alone but could now come with sound and moving image. With the emergence of social media, the process of information and knowledge sharing further increased exponentially since anyone could create and share content in a global platform.

However, it is important to highlight the limitation of the Internet as it exists today. While information is abundant, knowledge is scarce. The content is 10 miles wide but 5 inches deep. Then there are issues with accuracy, false information and simply a lot of triviality. The Internet is not a place for knowledge sharing only but also a place to entertain or simply express one-self. Content is abundant and being created each day but in a very disorganized and fragmented way. It is basically an amalgamation of crowds, for good or for ill.

AI Will Bring Order to the Internet Chaos

This is precisely why I believe AI can be a game changer that can truly harness the power of the Net towards more purposeful aims. How? AI will take Internet to a new-level of effectiveness by organizing and transmitting knowledge more efficiently. Intelligence is about analyzing data, identifying patterns and making decisions. Currently, content in the Internet is a mixture of some information with a lot of noise surrounding it. AI algorithms that can filter out the noise from the real information would be a welcome enhancement to the Net.

This can manifest itself in many fronts. One of them is in search engines where AI can improve the accuracy of a search by not only knowing the topic but also the context of the user. Furthermore, with improvements in translation, someone’s search can transcend the bounds of the user’s search language to capture content in other languages. It can also improve the ability to find content not just in text but sound and video which now is fairly limited. All of these enhancements would greatly increase the accuracy of searches greatly optimizing the process of research and knowledge sharing.

Another front is in machine-human interfaces. AI will revolutionize the relationship between humans and machines, therefore bringing the Internet much closer to our bodies. I have covered this extensively in my blogs about cyborgization. For here, I just want to highlight the fact that AI will move the Net closer to our brain. The culmination of this process is what some have called the Hive Mind. Basically, when our minds are connected to the Internet and can work as one collective consciousness. This is similar to swarms of insects that act in one direction with surprising coordination and purpose. Needless to say, this trend has seismic implications not just to the diffusion of knowledge but even how we experience reality itself.

Some of this is years if not decades down the road. Yet, even the process to move towards intelligent content and a collective consciousness is fairly disruptive on its own to upend governments, businesses and, yes, the church as well.

Glimpses of a New Reformation

How will this AI-enabled Internet facilitate a new reformation in the church? Before answering this question, we must recognize that unlike the 1500’s the Christian church is no longer the center of power and knowledge of Western societies. However, it is yet still a remarkable global hub of influence, especially in the developing world. In a world where political, technological and economic change fragments the legitimacy of all centers of power, the search of meaning becomes all the more salient. Many have found it in the ancient path of the Christian faith a contemporary way to make sense of their world (including the writer of this blog). I say this to qualify that any reformation in the church will have very different consequences than the one 500 years ago by the simple fact that now Christianity is just one of the many centers of influence on any given society. Hence, its effects will be more subtle and more spread out than the original Reformation.

With that said, the Internet is already disrupting the church. Computer Scientist and Researcher Allan Downey, believes the Internet is one of the driving factors in the decline of Christianity in the West.  Would an AI-enabled Internet mean the end of the church? I don’t believe so. Yet, it would be naive to think that the church would survive this time without any major changes. The main question is what will the church look like in this new era of turbo-charged, AI-enabled disruption of how we create and share knowledge?

It is very difficult to anticipate all the changes that may come in this scenario. One thing is certain, for Christianity to prosper in this future it must learn to integrate advances of science and technology while also holding on to the century-old traditions of worship, prayer, Scripture reading, proclamation and service. Adapting to change while staying true to its values is the challenge for any institution trying to navigate the coming changes. This is especially true for an institution like the church that has notoriously resisted and combated change in the last centuries. It is time to replace old-wineskins with new ones if we are to receive new wine.

My prayer is that in an age of exponential knowledge creation and sharing, the diverging paths between the Reformation and the Enlightenment will come together in a view of the world that is unafraid of discovery but also filled with divine wonder. For the last two centuries, these currents have diverged and opposed each other. Now it is time to reconcile them. I am not sure exactly what that would look like, but I hope to see a glimpse of it in my lifetime.

How Will AI Accelerate Cyborgization?

In a previous blog, I described how current technology adoption is transforming us into cyborgs. In this blog, I want to show how AI will accelerate and reinforce cyborgization and why this matters. Much has been said about the emergence of AI as the fearsome “other” that is coming to challenge humanity. A much more pressing conversation is how AI will redefine humanity. It is not the robot against us but the robot in us that we need to think about. That is why it is important to understand how AI will accelerate the march toward cyborgization.

Enabling Better Interfaces

AI technologies will speed up the march towards cyborgization by enabling more human-friendly interfaces. This is difficult to imagine now when our users experience is tied to a “QWERTY” keyboard. Also, voice recognition is still at its beginning stages (hence, why I keep on having arguments with Siri because she does not understand what I am saying). Yet, it is not a leap to imagine a world in which we do not type but speak to devices. This is only possible if these machines can hear and understand us. It is only safe if they can recognize who we are either by voice of vision. Last week, Apple launched Iphone X with a visual recognition feature that allows you to unlock the phone by simply looking at the screen. This is a breakthrough step in face recognition. Also, as Amazon, Google and Apple race to develop the leading voice-assistant, speaking to our devices will become more common. As AI improves so will our ability to interact with machines in more human-like manners. This will transform how we use these devices allowing them to play a larger role in our daily lives.

Bringing Order to Digital Chaos

Interfaces are not the only areas enhanced by AI. Another notable area is AI’s ability to bring order to our current digital experience. To illustrate this concept, just think about what would be like to connect your brain directly to your Facebook or Twitter feed. It would result in a major headache driven a by a jumble of unrelated topics, pictures, comments, flashing through your mind. Needless to say that It would be disorienting. This is the state of social media delivery and why extended uses of it can be harmful to our mental health. Now imagine if our digital experience could be organized and filtered by an intelligent agent. Let say, there was an AI-enabled app that could automatically filter and organize what you see based on who you are, your mood and time of day. Wouldn’t that transform your digital experience?  This way, AI would not only allow easier interface with devices but also enhance the experience with these devices through learning about us as individuals. It is a daunting to imagine that devices could know our thoughts and feelings but this is no longer a far-fetched idea. We are surely giving away enough data about ourselves so they can do just that. As these devices “know” us better we will also be more willing to use, wear or embed them in our bodies.

Facilitating Life Extension

The third area in which AI will impact the march is life extension. This is possibly the most controversial and promising area that AI technologies can impact us. While on paternity leave in the last five weeks, I had the chance to observe our current healthcare system. I am grateful for the care we received through medical interventions and advice as we welcome our son to the world. Yet, it was also clear how rudimentary our health care is. We currently rely on painfully invasive tests, disconnected systems, fragmented knowledge and healthcare worker memories for our medical data. No wonder we are running into so many problems in this area. If we could just improve how we collect, store and analyze health data we could advance the quality of care significantly. To do that would require wearing or embedding sensors in our body for live monitoring and data collection. AI models could analyze the data coming from these sensors and translate them into individualized care plans. That is, medical care that is tailored to your bodies specific genetic and real-time conditions. Moreover, it allows for building predictive models to estimate lifespan. The hope is that those models would not only tell us how long we will live but also uncover ways we can prolong that lifespan.

How Will These Advances Move Us Toward Cyborgization?

If it becomes easier to communicate with devices, it is also easier to involve them in all aspects of our lives. The movie Her explores this trend by imagining a world where humans develop romantic relationships with their digital assistants. Here, I want to suggest it could also lead to making these devices indispensable to our bodies. In short, they would culminate into full-blown auxiliary brains. That is, currently from what we know, our brain has no “hard drive” that stores memories. The brain structure itself is the “memories”. However, if as interface advances from hearing our voice to actually to hearing our thoughts, then it could become an embedded hard drive. This hard drive then could store all the information coming from our senses. With the technology already being developed in intelligent agents, these auxiliary brains would not only store data but also organize, filter and prompt it based on what it learns from us. Moreover, it would benefit from body sensors and connection to advanced medical data to possibly extend our lifespans. Sci-fi literature already explores scenarios with these possibilities. For now, it suffice it to say that our mobile phones are the first generation of our auxiliary brains.

Are we ready to move into enhanced humanity? With the acceleration made possible by Artificial Intelligence, this reality may be here sooner than you think. It would be naive to simply embrace it uncritically or reject it outrightly. The main issue is not IF but HOW this will happen.

Are we willing to embrace the opportunity while also recognizing the dangers of an enhanced humanity?

Are we ready to become responsible cyborgs?

A Letter to My Son At His Birth

Dear Levi,

You arrived on this world in the day of a total solar eclipse. What a momentous occasion for you to be born! It is as if creation was welcoming you with a party. As we heard your first cries, our heart leapt in joy just as it had for our previous two daughters. You were wanted even before you gave your first breath and now we welcome you into this world.

By God’s grace, you came into this world in the United States of America, the first generation from an immigrant family. You ended up here but your story started elsewhere. Always remember that all those privileged to be born in this land once came from somewhere else. We are all one more link in this historic chain.

You are born into a paradoxical time of history. Never before have the world experienced so much economic development with advances in all fronts. Diseases have been tamed, wars are isolated events, most world economies are thriving, and technological advances push further the limits of possibilities. Never was the world so connected and prosperous. Yet, we are gripped with fear. We are rich in information but poor in wisdom. Never before has any generation had such unfettered access to information. Yet, no generation has been more misinformed. While economies grow and difficult global problems recede, we are bombarded with negative news hence living in a constant state of pessimism and paranoia. Fear sells more than hope. In a capitalistic global system, media outlets, the sellers or information, are more often than not choosing the easier path of fear. Consequently, Democracies are tumbling as confidence in government, church and business are in sharp decline.

We are on the verge of major technological breakthroughs. Artificial Intelligence, drones, smart appliances and virtual reality will revolutionize everything we do in the next years. The constant of our time is change. Not just change, but light-speed change – certainly too fast for any mammal brain to keep up with. These breakthroughs are both disorienting and exhilarating. They will open possibilities that our imagination can barely fathom while also unleash evil like never seen before. The challenge for your generation will be to bend this progress towards human flourishing. Are you up for this challenge?

In view of all that, my word to you is one of hope. You are not just one mere individual in a sea of the 7 billion others currently living in this world. You are belong to the household of the faithful. This is a gathering of people from every nation and many centuries, who have embraced the hope in the person of Christ. This imperfect community of faith, fractured, sinful at times drunk with power is also the beautiful hands of God on this Earth. They live with their eyes firm on the promise of that day when everything will be made right and just. It is inspired in that vision that you are invited to walk in the faith-fully and hope-fully in footsteps of those who came before you.

There is much work to be done as we live in a world skeptical of any good news. Yet, those who believe that death has been defeated have nothing to fear. The future reign of our Lord is fast coming to transform our turbulent present. My prayer is that you embrace the call to point the world to the Source of all hope. Point to the finger of God in every good thing that happens in this world. Tell it, live it, incarnate it, share it lavishly with all who will receive it.

You may very well live beyond 100 years in a reality I cannot even fathom from my present perspective. My prayer is that as you outlive me you will continue to carry the torch of this Good News into the future. I may not get there with you but know that regardless, I will be cheering you on.

Be strong, my son. Be bold. Be kind. Be a humble learner. Only those willing to adapt will ever be able to navigate the stirring waters of neck-breaking change. Know above all that you are loved. Loved by your parents, your sisters and above all by your Creator. You are not alone and there is nothing that can change that.

Welcome to our world!

Your dad,

Elias

Confronting The March Towards Cyborgization

Science fiction cyborgs are scary. They make me wonder if we would ever co-exist with such beings in real life. Well, if you are looking for cyborgs you might as well start looking at the mirror. Our race to adopt the latest technologies is slowly but surely turning all of us into these fearsome creatures. Cyborgization is upon us whether we like it or not.

It this good, bad? Well, let me describe the trends and then we can discuss it. We’ll never wrestle with a reality that we do not name it first. As the adage goes: “the first step to healing is admitting we have a problem.”

Don’t believe me. Consider the following:

Last week Apple just announced that is making the iWatch less dependent on the iPhone. That means soon you’ll get most of the iPhone functionality in the iWatch. Elon Musk is talking about sending nano transmitters into our blood flow. In Wisconsin, a company is experimenting with just that, paying employees to implant chips in their hands. These are just a few examples of “body hacking”, where people are pushing further the envelope of fusing technology with our bodies. If technology conglomerates have their way, we are moving from buying devices we use to adding them to our bodies. The trend can be depicted as such:

desktop>>laptop>>tablet>>smart phone>>wearable device>>implant

Certainly, not everybody will sign up for implants. Yet, the fact that we now already have people willing to experiment with implants shows how far we have progressed in the spectrum above. Thirty years ago only a few of us owned desktop computers in our homes. Last year, the number of smart phones in the world surpassed 2 billion, just shy of 30% of the world population. The march towards cyborgization is in full-speed.

Cyborgs in Action: Sousveillance

So what would a world with cyborgs look like? What would we do with our extended bodies?

The events of Charlottesville this weekend reminded us of the evil undercurrents of racism that still purveys our culture.

[Here I must stop to make a few comments. Racism is goes against everything Christianity stands for. To say otherwise or to pretend there is equivalency on both sides betrays who we are. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. I also pray that we are able to come together to confront this evil in our midst.]

Curiously, the march and its aftermath also became a notable experiment in Sousveillance. Don’t know what that means, no worries. I just learned about it this week. Sousveillance is the fancy name for the growing phenomenon where people use their phones to record real-life events.

While this has been happening for a while, the novelty was the crowdsourced attempts to identify members of the march through social media. Basically, somebody recorded the faces of white supremacists marchers and posted their faces in twitter asking users to recognize and identify the individuals. As a result, one of the marchers lost his job after being outed in this social media driven act of sousveillance. Such development would not have been possible without the advent of devices that allow us to film and share images at ease.

This is an example of things to come. Ordinary individuals, leveraging their body extension tools to do things that were not possible otherwise. On the one hand this could lead to quicker apprehension of criminals in both identifying as well as providing physical evidence of their crimes. On the other hand this could quickly lead to an augmented version of mob mentality, where people are quickly branded guilty and made to pay for crimes they did not commit.While many are weary of government surveillance, citizen sousveillance can offer a welcome check. This is just one application of how cyborgization can change our world.

Framing the Conversation

So maybe becoming cyborgs is not such a bad thing. However, before dismissing or embracing this trend, it is important to ask a few questions. Here are some that come to mind.

Who is driving the march and who benefits most from it?

How does it help the most vulnerable?

How does it affect human relationships?

How do these devices enhance or diminish our humanity?

My biggest concern is not how fast these technological extensions are being adopted but how is it done. At this point, most of it is driven through marketing by large technology conglomerates telling us that we must adopt the latest gadget or else become irrelevant. The subtle message is not just that our current gadgets are outdated but that we ourselves are becoming useless.

Certainly marketing of artificial needs should not be the main driver for adopting these technologies. Instead, their adoption should undergo a deliberate process in which the questions listed above are at the forefront. Technology should never be an end to itself but a means to life enriching goals. We need to evolve from technology consumers to thoughtful agents that leverage technology for human flourishing.

At a personal level, a simple question would be: does this device improve my quality of life or not? If it does not, then it may be time to re-think its usage.

Wake Up Call: Helping the I-generation Discern Reality from Illusion

While Millennials continue to capture most of the headlines, we are just now starting to understand the next generation. Early reports are worrisome. The Atlantic just published an article about an extensive study on what is now called the Igeneration and how it compares to previous generations. They found that teenagers of this generation (born between 1996 and 2010) are delaying independence and therefore avoiding many of the risks that other generations fell prey to such as alcohol and drug abuse. Yet, they are also experiencing an increase in depression and suicide rates. In short, adolescents are both safer and lonelier. This is a paradigm we will have to grapple with for years to come.

According to the article, the single defining trait of this generation is technology. They are the first ones to grow up with smart phones. Many spend hours on their phone and fifty percent say they are addicted to it. This trend has had devastating effects most of which is amplifying the sense of being left. In fact, according to the study, phone usage had an inverse relationship with happiness. That is, the less you use your phone, the happier the teenagers reported they felt.

Leaving the pernicious effects of social media aside, I want to focus on the smart phone itself. Its very existence has fundamentally changed how teenagers perceive the world around them.

The Gap Between Generations

Children are like sponges. They have a unique capacity to absorb the world around them in ways adults no longer can. Their minds are malleable by all the stimuli around them. The biggest tragedy of children growing up in front of a screen is that they start losing the ability to differentiate the virtual world from the real one. Even if they cognitively understand the difference, they may still consider the virtual world as essential to their life. The snapchat profile is no longer an avatar but becomes an integral part of their identify. Their day-to-day experience, good and bad, gets amplified. If now teenagers can attain instant fame, they can also experience the devastating effects of cyber bullying. It is one thing to be teased before a small group of peers in school. It is a whole other matter when the teasing happens at millions of screen worldwide.

Now, it would be unfair to say that only teenagers are struggling to limit their smart phone usage. Many adults, including the one typing, have a tendency to check the phone many times throughout the day. However, adults like myself had the advantage of growing up in an offline world. Call me old-school but there is no online experience that can match the satisfaction I get from reading a book. Because of this perspective, I wonder if we adults are underestimating the effects of introducing these devices so early in our children’s development.

As a parent of 7 and a 5 year-old, controlling their screen time is a constant source of worry if not obsession to both me and my wife. I can’t even imagine how the struggle will be as they get older and their peers start coming to school with smart phones. While I can delay it for a few years, I have to accept that our kids simply live in a different world than the one we grew up in. While limiting screen time is a good step, I think the bigger challenge is teaching them to make good choices when we are not present. Essentially, we need to impress on our children that the analog world is vastly richer than the digital representation they see on screens.

Real Versus Virtual

How do we teach a new generation to discern what is real from what is not? In past blogs, I have talked about preparing the next generation through education. Nevertheless, this is not enough. At the heart of this crisis is changing how we and our children approach technology altogether. If we are to help them discern reality outside of their phone screens we must first help them approach the technology they use wisely. That means helping them understand when it is time to put the screen down on their own.

I am encouraged when I see that my kids drop everything at the invitation to go to the pool. This tells me that while they enjoy their screens, they are still no match to the real experience of chlorine-full water splashing through their bodies. In the same way, my prayer for the Igeneration is that they learn that seeing someone face-to-face will always beat a video-conference interaction and that running in the woods will always be superior to any VR game they play.

The best way to help with that is being conduits of analog experiences that will blow away the digital ones. The gift of undivided attention, the warmth of a hug, the encouragement from words of affirmation are just a few examples of experiences that are best delivered in person than digitally.

If you see someone from the igen today, ask them to put down their phone and give them a hug.

Update on 04/10/2021

Subsequent studies have questioned the findings from the research above. The reality is that it is simply too early to make any conclusions. This does not mean we need to throw caution off the window but it does show that the causes to this worrisome trends are more complex than previously thought. The overall conclusion of this blog remains the same, let’s continue to love on our igen children and walk with them as they grow up in a digital world.

Artificial Immortality: Honoring or Replacing our Parents?

Is there a way to achieve (artificial) immortality? What would that look like?

This month’s Wired featured an article where journalist James Vlahos sought to immortalize his dying father by creating a chatbot that would mimic his dad’s knowledge, expressions and speech mannerisms. His moving account provided rich material for reflection.

For a good portion of the article, the journalist recounts in detail the process of deciding and executing his idea. It took months of preparations, interviews and countless hours of programming. While some machine learning was used, the bulk of the work laid on his own knowledge of his father. He wanted to ensure the bot would respond in a way that would make the user feel like he was talking to the father. He even ensured the grammatical construction of sentences would reflect his father’s speech.

Even more interesting than the process itself were the questions that emerged as his project progressed. How would he and other family members feel about the bot after his father was gone? Would they feel like talking to the bot or would it creep them out? His personal project is a powerful anecdote of this new era where machines are increasingly acquiring human traits.

It is not just about how the machines are changing but even more importantly, how we respond to them. There are those who will interact the bot and be able to compare with the human person the bot was made to emulate. Yet, what about the grandkids who will have a greater exposure to the bot than to their actual grandfather? What type of relationship will they develop with the chatbot? Could the chatbot become its own entity, somewhat independent from the human it was built to emulate?

Honoring Our Fathers Through Technology

Last week, I received my cousin’s first book in the mail. In it, he recounts his journey to uncover details about the torture his parents suffered by the repressive Brazilian dictatorship in the early 1970’s. Besides having national significance as the country seeks to come to grips with that dark period of their history, the story is very personal to our family. Yet, what impressed me the most was his desire to make his parents story known so his children would not forget. In some ways, it was a book to honor his parents’ story, ensuring their memory would outlive them.

This desire to memorialize our parents is not new. In the Hebrew Scriptures, it is codified in the fifth commandment: “Thou shall honor thy father and thy mother.” Could this honoring now be done through these new technologies? As the Wired article demonstrated, it certainly can. In some ways, it is the next step in our current ways of memorializing our ancestors with pictures, books and videos. What makes this new stage unique is how these objects can now interact with us. When we look at videos and pictures, they are fixed snapshots of a past. Our feelings toward them may change but they themselves are static. Yet, as machine learning advances and AI takes on voice and possibly a physical appearance we now have the possibility to not just recall memories but actually create new ones. In fact, a well trained AI could create new content never spoken by the original human. It is, in one sense, the closest we have to bringing the dead back to life.

Memorializing or Idolizing?

It is at this point that I wonder whether our memorializing can quickly descend into idolizing. Let me explain. I wonder at what point the creation meant to resemble our ancestor becomes an independent entity that we relate to and revere. The warning in Scriptures about idolizing is always about replacing the real for the fake. Venerating the fake god instead of the real God. In the same way, could these artificial creations meant to resemble our real ancestors come to replace them in our memory and in our experience? How ironic that in an effort to memorialize somebody we could actually speed up the process to forget and replace them.

Thankfully, these technologies are still in their rudimentary stage so we can start asking these questions now. As the technology improves, it will become increasingly difficult to separate the real person from their artificial creation. So the question becomes, to what extent do we want to use this technology to honor our parents without fully replacing their memory with an artificial image of their real selves? What do you think?

Debunking AI Myths: Specialized versus General AI

The noise around AI has been deafening lately. From tales of doom, fears of automation to promises of a new humanity, there is no limit for the speculation around this technology. As one tracking the news and articles around this topic, the task has become impossible. Not one day goes by without multiple articles, blogs, podcasts and TV shows come out exploring the topic. Just this week, technology avatars Elon Musk and Mark Zucheberg traded barbs on whether we should fear AI or not.

Hence, it is a good time to take a step back to separate the hype from reality. It is time to expose some AI myths and look at these challenge with a cautious but informed perspective. The biggest challenge in our time where information flows freely is to know what to ignore and what to pay attention to lest we fall into a perpetual sense of confusion. In this blog, I want to hone in the differences between generalized and specialized AI while also briefly reflecting on their impact in our near future.

The Promise and Limitations of Specialized AI

Many readers of this blog may know this already but it is important to reinforce the difference between specialized and general AI. The first, is the driver around the revolution in industry and most of the buzz in the news. It is specialized because it is intelligence optimized around one specific task. That can be predicting who will do an action, whose face is in the picture or what has someone said. In the baseline section, I show a picture that illustrate well the different types of specialized AI that exist. With improving hardware, a lot of data and the right algorithms, specialized AI will most likely disrupt entire industries from banking to healthcare, transportation to entertainment.

Now before we panic, a few caveats are in order. Just because a technology exists does not mean it will actually create disruption. For example, many thought that the advent of the Internet would end book publishing. While the publishing industry had gone through tremendous change, we still buy books today. So, it is fair to say that even with the advent of self-driving cars that does not mean the end of driving.

For a technology to change industry and culture, it must first prove to be commercially viable. It is only when the smart phone becomes the Iphone that change starts happening. Disruption is not just dependent on the technology but also on how it is used. It is wonderful that computers can now learn like humans but if this does not solve real problems, it is useless. Specialized AI is not a trouble-shoot free proposition. It takes a considerable amount of time, testing, investment and many failures to get to successful applications. At this point, only large corporations or savvy entrepreneurs have the time, energy and resources that it takes to transform this technology into viable solutions. It is true that hardware and open-source software have significantly lowered the barriers of entry into this field. However, people with the right skillset and experience in this area are still scarce. Thus, many AI efforts will fail while few will become breakthroughs. This reality leads me to believe that the forecasts of massive job elimination are over-blown.

The Challenges Around General AI

General AI is still the fodder of scientific fiction. That is the idea that machines could be sentient, being able to think, walk and feel. We are still decades off from that reality. Now, certainly we could get there earlier but before we do, we have some formidable obstacles overcome.

A big one is hardware. In spite of the fact that computers processing speed have grown greatly in the last years, they are still no match for the brain. The difference is between millions to billions of connections. Basically, there is no hardware today that could fully mimic the capacity of the brain. Some believe they never will be able to do so while others are spending billions trying to do exactly that. Only time will tell who is right, but until then General AI will remain elusive.

We often forget that an essential difference between AI and human intelligence is life itself. Artificial Intelligence is not artificial life but only a well-constructed machine made to look, see and think like humans. For all the advances in AI, there are still fundamental differences in how biological functions of our bodies and the processing activity of machines. So, it looks like, at least for the near future, robots will not have a soul even if talking about them as they did can be a helpful exercise in speculative reflection.

What Does This Mean?

Given the points described above, what are we to make of the current fears surrounding AI? Outlining the limits around AI does not mean ignoring its potential dangers nor minimizing its promise. The difference is an informed engagement versus exasperated over-reaction. Specialized AI is bound to eliminate some jobs and there is very little that can change that. Yet, this will not be an overnight smooth transition. It will be filled with advances, setbacks until we reach a new normal. Even as the technology progresses, social-political and economic factors are bound to shape the future of AI. It is not just about the technology but about the people who use it.

Maybe the best advice I can give anyone concerned about AI is “don’t believe everything you read on the Internet.” Check your sources, compare it with others and retain the best. In this case, my hope is that the attention around AI will invite us all to a conversation about how technology is shaping our lives and how it can help us flourish. To dwell on fear will miss the opportunity of discovering how AI can make us better humans. That, to me, is the ultimate question we must be most concerned about.

 

Christian Transhumanism: A Bridge Between Theology and AI

In the previous blog, I talked about how theology has much to offer to the AI conversation. With that said, one must recognize that the conversation between AI and Theology is rather awkward at the moment. While sharing common points of references, there are still significant divides in values, worldviews and language. At the root of this disconnect is the last century and half ongoing conflict between science and religion. As a consequence, the theologian is mostly disinterested if not intimidated by technology. The technologist finds Theology antiquated and inconsequential to the rise of new technologies. To delve more deeply on this rift would take more than a blog but for now suffice it to say that work must be done to bridge this divide if we are to have a productive and meaningful conversation.

In that front, I am encouraged by the emergence of Christian Transhumanism. This budding movement shows promise in creating the space where Theology and Technology can learn from each other. How? Well, first some definitions are in order.

What is Transhumanism?

According to Nick Bostrum, Transhumanism is an “international intellectual and cultural movement that affirms the possibility and desirability of fundamentally transforming the human condition by developing and making widely available technologies to eliminate aging and to greatly enhance human intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities.”

Transhumanism is an optimistic view of the future that sees technology as the conduit for a new and improved humanity. This can translate into efforts to extend lifespan, enhance human abilities and or re-think the social order in light of these new possibilities. It is a movement driven by imagination mostly found in Science Fiction. Many of us may enjoy the thrill of watching or reading a Science Fiction story. The Transhumanist goes a step further and asks: what if those things actually happen? How would we live in these new worlds? What possibilities, conflicts and hopes would we experience? For the purpose of this blog, Transhuamanists are at the forefront of reflecting on the ethical implications of emerging technologies. That makes them an important conversation partner in the dialogue between AI and Theology.

Can Transhumanism be Christian?

In view of the description above, what would Christian Transhumanism look like? First, it is important to point out that Transhumanism in its purest form is a thoroughly secular movement. Most of its members claim no religious affiliation. This makes it for an even more intriguing proposition to espouse a Christian version of it.

The Christian Transhumanist Association (CTA) is probably one for the first attempts to pursue exactly that. At a high level, the movement merges Christian theology with Transhumanism in three meaningful ways. Firstly, it translates Transhumanism search for human evolution into growth. This growth is not limited to spiritual but more akin to what I have been describing in this blog as human flourishing – a holistic view that encompasses spiritual, physical and social dimensions. Secondly, it calibrates Tranhumanist telos towards the renewal of the Earth. That it, the goal is not progress for progress sake but it is replaced by a Christian eschatological aim – the new heaven and the new earth. Thirdly, it sees the use of technology as a way to fulfill our call to Christian discipleship. In a creative move, the group actually sees the pursue of technological advance as part of spiritual formation.

In doing so, CTA embodies a robust theology of technology laying the ground work for a dialogue between AI and Theology. This is not a problem-free path, as inevitably any deep engagement with another philosophy can lead to unbalanced syncretism or shallow proselytizing. That is, on the one hand Christian Transhumanism can alter its Christian base enough to lose its essence. On the other hand, Christian Transhumanism can engage in forceful imposition of Christian ideals into the Transhumanist community without genuine engagement. Walking this thin line is part of the challenge for the next years to come.

Intrigued? I invite you to visit their website for more information

Where do We Go From Here?

Christian Transhumanism is in its infancy stages and so it is too early to assess its role in bridging the divide between AI and Theology. It is an important line of thinking but not the only one. An alternative view would be a bioconservative Christian movement emerging as a counter-point to Christian Transhumanism. Bioconservatives are those who would advocate limiting or rejecting the use of technology in extending life or enhancing human abilities. Yet, this position will become more precarious as some of these technological advances are all but inevitable. Just think about taking a stance against automobiles in the beginning of the 20th century. I guess the Amish are a witness to this position and their legacy will live on in other movements in the coming future.

At the moment, I am leaning towards the Christian Transhumanist side. Christian history is filled with examples where the church has resisted change rather than shaping it towards desirable aims. At its best, I see Christian Transhumanism doing the latter, welcoming technological change with enthusiasm while also holding a theologically lens to expose its dangers. My hope is that CTA can live out its mission as both a reforming voice in the church and a beacon of hope in a fast-changing world.

Is Theology Relevant to Artificial Intelligence?

What does Theology have to do with Artificial Intelligence? What does Jerusalem have to do with Silicon Valley? In this blog, I want to address this question head-on to show that theology is not just relevant but much needed in the current debates about AI.

If social media is any indication, not everyone sees the connection between AI and Theology. Consider a recent discussion I had in Facebook where a contributor expressed the following view:

“The more I read [your blog, the more] I feel like you have to justify to us the introduction of the subject of theology in discussions about AI because I don’t see the relevance.”

Challenge accepted! Simply put, if I can’t answer this question satisfactorily, I have no business keeping this blog.

I acknowledge that readers come to this blog from diverse backgrounds. While a good number are Christians, there are also some that are not affiliated with Christianity or any faith at all. I want to respond having the second group in mind. The question that may arise is whether Theology (especially the Christian type, which is mostly associated with the discipline) is relevant to the topic of Artificial Intelligence. Furthermore, if it is relevant, does it have anything meaningful to say that warrants a place at the table of AI debates?

The Human Connection

For starters, I would define theology (and religion) and the development of Artificial Intelligence as human endeavors. Why point that out? I want to point to the fact that both disciplines emanate from our shared human experience. What differentiates AI from other technologies is its perennial connection with human intelligence. While human intelligence is not the only intelligence as one could argue that other animals have their own unique intelligence, it is inevitably our starting point. Technology, like all other human endeavors, is a creative expression of who we are, whether we acknowledge it or not. The primary focus of AI is to mimic human intelligence, therefore establishing humanity at the center of it.

Theology, while focused on the divine, is greatly interested in humanity. The study of the divine is incomplete without a starting point that emanates from humanity. In that sense, it is similar to AI, because it uses humanity as a primary point of reference. We cannot define or speak of the divine without bringing it analogically to a human dimension. Christian theology does not speak of an abstract idea about God but one that is deeply personal.

AI as Playing God

While the human connection is important, this is not enough to explain the relevance of theology. For that we must turn to the god connection that links these two subjects. Consider the provocative statement Kevin Kelly (one of the founders of Wired magazine) made in the turn of the century:

As we attempt to create from scratch life, and other minds, and perhaps someday other universes, we need a better catalog of god-ness, and a more exact notion of what species of god is best for what kind of creation. As we become better gods we must become better theologians. It is sort of like how the Web forces everybody to be a librarian; what once was left to esoteric professionals is now everybody’s business.

When we step in the business of creating intelligent machines, we are stepping into the realm of divine. This is new territory for humanity where we must thread with caution. If AI is playing God, can Theology offer a playbook? Yet, what if developing intelligence is a step in becoming more like God? If so, we might have something to learn from a discipline that has attempted to explain the divine for centuries.

Regardless of whether you see the divine as a human construct or a real being, theology can still be relevant. If you are in the first camp, wouldn’t it be interesting to learn how our ancestors imagined God? Wouldn’t their reflection, their cautionary tales and utopias, be instructive in helping us navigate the road to an AI future?

Hope and Imagination

In a recent article, Beth Singler explored the striking similarity between the language of techno-enthusiast and religious people. She shows how the conversation around AI today connects her to concepts she had heard in Sunday School as a child. What could be the connecting thread? Hope and imagination. To talk about an AI future, forces us to imagine what we cannot see. Faith is defined as believing in things we hope for but cannot see. In the same way, Science Fiction literature express a hope for a better future or a warning to keep what is most dear to us. They may express different values, but their method is surprisingly similar.

It is hard to do justice in a 900 word blog to a topic that deserves volumes of books. Yet, I hope this writing can challenge some established mental models and crack open new horizons. I firmly believe that the conversation around AI has much to benefit from a theological perspective. I don’t claim it should be the only or even the dominant voice. Consequently, Theology has much to learn from AI as well. The challenge is whether we’ll move forward in courageous dialogue or let fear and misunderstanding keep these disciplines apart.

I certainly hope for the first option. Do you?

Ultimate Narratives and Why Trump Is Irrelevant

I have intentionally steered clear from political topics in this blog. Yet, just like many in this season, I found myself needing to say something given the unique political moment the US is undergoing at this point. For starters, as an immigrant and strong believer in international cooperation, it is not too difficult to know where I stand on the current administration. Moreover, as an evangelical Christian, I lament our group’s support for Trump’s person and agenda. Simply put, the gospel that saved me is not compatible with political ideologies that foment fear, division and scapegoating of minorities.

Yet, this blog is NOT another rant against Trump. In fact quite the opposite. My main point here is to demonstrate how, regardless of his bombast and noise, he does not define the future of our nation and the global community. This became clear two weeks ago, when the president decided to leave the Paris Accord. Soon after, large corporations, states and city governments defied the administration’s stance by re-affirming their commitment to the goals put forth in the international agreement. While the president holds remarkable power and influence, his reach has limits.

Centers of Power

Reflecting on this brings me back to my undergraduate studies in Political Science. Then, I remember studying about the dynamic interplay of centers of powers. In this framework, even in the most authoritarian regimes, power is never fully centralized. Instead it is distributed in societies through many centers of power. These are institutions like foundations, think tanks, political parties, business associations and other interest groups. Any political leader, whether they like it or not, depend on these actors to govern. When a politician loses key support, he or she cannot effectively govern. President Trump is no exception to this rule and to understand his actions, one must also understand the interests groups that brought him to power.

While this is true, the limits of this view is that it focuses only in powers that manifest themselves politically. Yet, there are many other actors that may not hold overt political power yet still can exert tremendous influence in a society. Examples of this would be business conglomerates in sectors like communication, energy, technology and education. Our future may very well be decided in boardroom meetings of these companies where new products and services are being discussed.

The Power of Narrative

In our time, an even more formidable power is narrative itself. That is, the ability to control how to explain our world. In 2017, more than ever before, there is a collusion between communication (media) and political powers that are selling the narrative that “the political is the ultimate.” This narrative wants to convince us that the defining events of history are coming from the halls of Washington, DC. The president makes a policy announcement (or send a ridiculous tweet) and the media is all over it either defending it or expressing disgust over it. Either way, the narrative is reinforced that the political takes precedence over all other narratives.

This blog has focused on an alternative narrative. Frankly, in a time where politics offers little hope, it is refreshing to follow the narrative of technological progress. Here you hear stories about possibilities, positive change and improvement. There are also aspects that cause fear, distress and anxiety. Yet, the dominant sentiment (at least to me) is of hope. We are living in a time of unprecedented technological breakthroughs many of which could change life as we know it for the better.

Ultimate Narratives

The train has left the station for technological innovation. This train will not stop unless we experience another “Black Swan” event (a rare catastrophic event that changes everything i.e.: 9/11 Attack on the Twin Towers). For now, the party or person that sits in power will have little effect in the march towards an AI-saturated world. Thus, understanding how to bend this trend towards the good of humanity is to me more consequential than fighting for political change. This does not diminish the work of political activism, just displaces it from a place of ultimate importance.

Finally, for those who pledge allegiance to Christ, there is no ultimate narrative other than the gospel itself. The Christ follower will understand the world through the lens that believes that new life is possible even after death. That is the hope that has driven the faithful for centuries and continues to drive them today. We are certainly living in times of great political uncertainty and unprecedented technological change. Yet, ultimately, for the Christian, none of that is more important than the death and resurrection of Christ. It is on this narrative of hope that we stand and understand everything else. Our job is to uncover how this narrative of death and resurrection is playing out within the current trends we live today. Not an easy task for sure, but one that promises eternal rewards.