A Machine Hath Not Vocation
For God's sake, let us be men
not monkeys minding machines
or sitting with our tails curled
while the machine amuses us, the radio or film or gramophone.
~D. H. Lawrence, "Let Us Be Men—," Pansies, 1929
This week I have spent significant time studying up on Artificial Intelligence. We have heard about it. Maybe we have tinkered with it. It is a topic of conversation. But what does it mean? And the old Lutheran question, “What does this mean?”
Certainly I can’t tackle all of that in one short devotion today, but if you are curious, plan to join us the next few weeks on Sundays at 8:45am for the adult class, and we will explore this topic further. But for today I will share just one conclusion: A machine hath not vocation.
(My thanks to Prof. Gene Vieth who wrote on this topic recently in an article that can be found HERE.)
There are certain truths that we rely on as Christians:
We are created beings, made in the image of God. We are endowed with a soul, a spiritual and meaningful essence, having been joined with a physical body, and given the promise of resurrection from the dead. And we have purpose, created by a Creator God to care for His creation and one another, which we often call vocation.
To further our vocations, over time, we have adopted tools, fire and flint, steel and sword, kettle and keyboard, that these technologies might enhance our work and futher productivity. When used rightly, these tools allow us greater ability to fulfill our calling of God to love and serve our neighbor. But of course, when used for sinister purposes, these tools can bring harm and evil, rather than good and blessing.
But what about AI - Artificial Intelligence - and the possibilty of one-day super-intelligence? Is it a tool like all the others, allowing us greater efficiencies, intellect, and production? The verdict is out on this question right now, and it is the topic of great debate. Could AI do greater harm than good, if allowed to continue its current trajectory? This issue is worth our time and study, and potentially our voices to argue it must be managed well.
One thing we know for certain, however, is that AI does not have vocation. A computer does not have a calling, and a machine does not have a soul. It is not God, nor can it become God. There is only one, the Triune God who has made himself known in Christ, our Lord, and while technology may be progressing, God still holds it, and every datacenter, in the more glorious palm of his hand.
This understanding keeps us from making an idol of technology, AI being the latest, and also, hopefully, of dreading it.
There is reason for concern that AI be managed well, as one more tool, but also to know it cannot meet our deepest needs or be our savior. And ultimately, unlike us, all forms of artificial intelligence will come to an end, because they are just that, not real. Real wisdom comes from the Lord, who calls us to be in community, to share our lives with one another, to love as he has loved, to forgive and be forgiven. All of these are aspects that make us human, Imago Dei, made in the image of God, of which machines cannot compete.
AI hath not vocation, but we do, so let us live out this calling. Let us do our work, and love our neighbor, and be careful and cautious in using the tools at our disposal, lest they diminish, rather than aid, our vocation.
~Pastor Mike Middaugh
not monkeys minding machines
or sitting with our tails curled
while the machine amuses us, the radio or film or gramophone.
~D. H. Lawrence, "Let Us Be Men—," Pansies, 1929
This week I have spent significant time studying up on Artificial Intelligence. We have heard about it. Maybe we have tinkered with it. It is a topic of conversation. But what does it mean? And the old Lutheran question, “What does this mean?”
Certainly I can’t tackle all of that in one short devotion today, but if you are curious, plan to join us the next few weeks on Sundays at 8:45am for the adult class, and we will explore this topic further. But for today I will share just one conclusion: A machine hath not vocation.
(My thanks to Prof. Gene Vieth who wrote on this topic recently in an article that can be found HERE.)
There are certain truths that we rely on as Christians:
We are created beings, made in the image of God. We are endowed with a soul, a spiritual and meaningful essence, having been joined with a physical body, and given the promise of resurrection from the dead. And we have purpose, created by a Creator God to care for His creation and one another, which we often call vocation.
To further our vocations, over time, we have adopted tools, fire and flint, steel and sword, kettle and keyboard, that these technologies might enhance our work and futher productivity. When used rightly, these tools allow us greater ability to fulfill our calling of God to love and serve our neighbor. But of course, when used for sinister purposes, these tools can bring harm and evil, rather than good and blessing.
But what about AI - Artificial Intelligence - and the possibilty of one-day super-intelligence? Is it a tool like all the others, allowing us greater efficiencies, intellect, and production? The verdict is out on this question right now, and it is the topic of great debate. Could AI do greater harm than good, if allowed to continue its current trajectory? This issue is worth our time and study, and potentially our voices to argue it must be managed well.
One thing we know for certain, however, is that AI does not have vocation. A computer does not have a calling, and a machine does not have a soul. It is not God, nor can it become God. There is only one, the Triune God who has made himself known in Christ, our Lord, and while technology may be progressing, God still holds it, and every datacenter, in the more glorious palm of his hand.
This understanding keeps us from making an idol of technology, AI being the latest, and also, hopefully, of dreading it.
There is reason for concern that AI be managed well, as one more tool, but also to know it cannot meet our deepest needs or be our savior. And ultimately, unlike us, all forms of artificial intelligence will come to an end, because they are just that, not real. Real wisdom comes from the Lord, who calls us to be in community, to share our lives with one another, to love as he has loved, to forgive and be forgiven. All of these are aspects that make us human, Imago Dei, made in the image of God, of which machines cannot compete.
AI hath not vocation, but we do, so let us live out this calling. Let us do our work, and love our neighbor, and be careful and cautious in using the tools at our disposal, lest they diminish, rather than aid, our vocation.
~Pastor Mike Middaugh
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