Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of many things that Christians are paying attention to in these last days, even more so as the technology continues to rapidly develop. It’s met with both awe and skepticism.
While the majority of people embrace it as they ponder on the plethora of possible benefits it could have for the human race, some aren’t so optimistic claiming it could reach “singularity” – when AI gets out of control possibly reaching human level intelligence and beyond. This would be a point of no return where we see the plot to the latest sci-fi movies about AI and robots wiping out the human race become reality.
For the believer who’s paying close attention to bible prophecy and world events including the advancement of technology, AI is something that’s raised eyebrows for some of us, specifically as to how it could play a role in the tribulation. In 2018 I wrote my first article on artificial intelligence and stated I believed that AI could very well be (or be a part of) the image of the beast we read about in Revelation 13:14-15.
Revelation 13:14-15 tells us there will come a time when an image of some sort will be made, given “life” and be able to speak and exercise power to such a degree that it can kill people. With the current technology we have, we can see how this could possibly be a AI robot or program that resembles the antichrist in likeness and has control over a global system already put in place that it can tap into to identify, find, and kill those who don’t worship it. Before this can be fulfilled, I believe there will be a global surveillance network put into place which we can already see precursors to. – The Rise of AI & A Race to Digital Identities
As crazy as this may sound at first, take a look at the below headlines to see the general thought process of the world and the direction we could very well be headed. From mention of a “Robot God” to robots being used in religious services.
- Robot ‘GOD’: AI version of Buddhist deity to preach in Japanese temple
- Buddhist robot priest to dole out advice in Kyoto temple
Now, Pope Francis, a figure many believers – myself included – believe to be the false prophet of Revelation 13 (or at least a very good fore-runner) has teamed up with both IBM and Microsoft to work on AI.
Based on Revelation 13:15, we can clearly see that it’s the false prophet who gives “breath” to this “image” to cause it to both speak and kill. So to see Pope Francis going into the realm of AI is interesting indeed. Aside from that, anything the man does is worth looking into and being weary of.
Pope Francis Joins IBM and Microsoft to Develop AI
From Breaking Israel News: The Vatican joined forces with tech giants IBM and Microsoft in February to promote the “ethical” development of artificial intelligence (AI). The Vatican also called for regulating intrusive technologies including facial recognition reports Reuters. All three said that artificial intelligence shall respect privacy, operate reliably and without bias. They added that it should also take into account human rights and be transparent.
Pope Francis threw his support behind the development of AI during a speech that was read on his behalf at a conference that was attended by Microsoft president Brad Smith and IBM Executive Vice President John Kelly. At that time, the pope was sick and was unable to deliver the speech himself.
The joint document specifically referenced the potential abuse that can occur with facial recognition technology. “New forms of regulation must be encouraged to promote transparency and compliance with ethical principles, especially for advanced technologies that have a higher risk of impacting human rights, such as facial recognition,” the document stated.
It wasn’t immediately clear if other tech companies would also sign the document, or how its principles would be implemented. IBM wants a doctor to be updated when its AI technology makes healthcare recommendations.
Reuters adds that this may be implemented in a deal that was made with the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome which is owned by the Vatican. The partnership will focus on developing technology to expedite diagnosis and treatment of brain tumor patients. Read More
Sources
- Pope Joins Forces with IBM, Microsoft to Develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) (April 22nd, 2020) – Breaking News Israel
- Robot ‘GOD’: AI version of Buddhist deity to preach in Japanese temple (February 25th, 2019) – Express
- Buddhist robot priest to dole out advice in Kyoto temple (February 25th, 2019) – The Telegraph