Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Modern Society

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become the buzzword of modern society. There have been countless attempts to integrate artificial intelligence into everyday life. From gaming devices to that robot vacuum in your house. The latest of which has been the most astonishing by far. Today, scientists are using artificial intelligence to resurrect the dead. You heard right. In 2020 the producers of a Korean documentary invited a mother who had lost her daughter to come on set to say goodbye in a virtual world. The producers’ aim was to reunite the mother with her dead daughter for her to see and hear her one last time. Ignoring how deeply problematic this idea is on a psychological level, the moral and biblical significance of this is striking.

Should Artificial Intelligence Replace the Comforter? 

What people do not seem to realize is that grief was never meant to be abated by human hands or by human wisdom. God has always had a plan for grief. It was meant to bring us closer to the Father (Psalms 34:18). Sometimes, it is only through pure, unadulterated grief that we feel the closeness of the Holy Spirit; who was sent to us as a comforter. Now, people may say that it is unrealistic to rely solely on the Holy Spirit for grief counseling and that not seeking out man-made inventions, like artificial intelligence, is not wise but here is where the problem lies.

Depending on artificial intelligence to guide you through the murky waters of grief will always have its pitfalls. For example, one criticism of using artificial intelligence to resurrect the dead to give the living comfort is the psychological impact it has on the living. According to psychologists, it prolongs the grieving process and it is the most unhealthy way to go about mourning since it encourages detachment from reality and forces the mourner to live in an alternate world. 

This does not happen when the Holy Spirit guides us through grief. He teaches us that firstly, grieving the loss of a loved one is okay and that in some way God will work it all together for good  (Romans 8:38). The Lord also gives us supernatural strength to continue on in the present with the loss of a loved one, something that artificial intelligence cannot do.

Artificial Intelligence Over the Holy Ghost?  I Think Not!

What I would recommend to anyone who is suffering the painful loss of a loved one is this; you will walk better through grief with a licensed Christian therapist operating under the guidance of the Holy Spirit rather than with artificial intelligence which is not real, but a false sense of virtual reality.

Artificial intelligence prolongs the grieving process and will have you holding on to your loved one here on earth, forgetting the promise that Jesus made to us John 10:10 and John 3:16. That promise is this: through Him, we have eternal life. 

So remember Jesus and remember the cross. If your loved one was saved, then your loved one is resting peacefully with God in eternity, the same way Jesus and the two thieves were in paradise on the cross. Reconnecting with the dead on the mortal plane is not something God wants for us (Isaiah 8:19; Leviticus 19:31, 1 Chronicle 10:13-14). This practice is called necromancy which God forbids in Deuteronomy 18:10-14 He wants us to depend on him for guidance only.

Conclusion

What The Bible Says About Communicating With The Dead

Speaking to the dead was a capital offense punishable by stoning under Old Testament law:

“Men and women among you who act as mediums or psychics must be put to death by stoning. They are guilty of a capital offense.” (Leviticus 20:27, NLT)

This is just one of many scriptures concerning God forbidding his people from communicating with the dead. This very practice is known as necromancy. So the next time you communicate with social media’s AI with ‘RIP’ when a celebrity dies, you better think twice. That is, if you are Christian.

A believer should seek out wholesome and healthy ways to manage grief and should not rely on artificial intelligence to do the work of the Holy Spirit. 

Sources:

Artificial Intelligence
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/11/12/artificial-intelligence-grief/

Augmented Eternity, University of Michigan
https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/augmented-eternity/overview/