A company in Ireland is hoping to bring the world’s tallest moving statue to 21 cities in 2021, including Phoenix. Called “The Giant” it’s a programmable, moving statue that’s 10-stories tall and covered with millions of LED pixels that allow it to take the form of any person — even Spider-Man.
We are truly living in some strange times. In it’s own right, this statue can be said to be an impressive combination of technology and art, but for many believers – me included – it’s either creepy or gives an unsettling feeling as it draws our minds to Nebuchadnezzar’s statue in Daniel 3 and ultimately to the image of the beast that will be built during the tribulation by the order of the false prophet.
And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. (Revelation 13:14-15)
I want to stress that I’m not saying that this statue is the image of the beast, but that it merely brings some of us to this part of scripture. In one sense one could say it’s further gearing the minds of people to accept the image of the beast that is coming. Some have noted it is a more overt display of idolatry and I definitely agree with that sentiment as well.
At the end of the day, could the idea behind this statue be used in the construction of the image of the beast in the future? Maybe. It’s also possible we could see the attention around it die down once they’re unveiled to the public.
Personally, I believe that Artificial Intelligence and robotics may be what’s incorporated in the creation of the image of the beast. I first talked about this in my 2018 article, The Rise of AI & A Race to Digital Identities.
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. (The Rise of AI & A Race to Digital Identities)
I then touched on the idea again concerning Pope Francis’ efforts with AI last year. From what we read in scripture, the “breath” (some translations render it as “life”) that is given to the image (Revelation 13:15) by the false prophet in Greek is pneuma, a word we see used as “spirit” throughout the book of Revelation (Revelation 1:4, 10; 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:1, 6, 13, 22; 4:2, 5; 5:6; 11:11; 13:15; 14:13; 16:13-14; 17:3; 18:2; 19:10; 21:10; 22:17).
What we could be seeing here is not just an AI robot but one that may be given a “spirit” or possibly inhabited by a demonic entity. Whatever form the image of the beast takes, time will tell, but in my opinion, it’s worth keeping in the back of our minds.
A giant, shape-shifting statue that talks could be coming to Phoenix. Here’s what we know
AZCentral: Could you imagine watching a 10-story tall Beyoncé perform on Grand Ave? What about John Lennon on Van Buren or a much-larger-than-life Larry Fitzgerald near State Farm Stadium?
The possibilities are endless if a European group’s plans come together.
A company in Ireland is hoping to bring the world’s tallest moving statue to 21 cities in 2021, including Phoenix.
Called “The Giant” it’s a programmable, moving statue that’s 10-stories tall and covered with millions of LED pixels that allow it to take the form of any person — even Spider-Man.
According to a press release, The Giant’s arms and head can move in multiple directions and would change shape every hour as crowds gather below. The Giant can take on any image so you could even find yourself featured, talk about the ultimate selfie. The statue can also sing and speak.
The project’s website calls it an “exciting digital art gallery,” “the world’s most captivating billboard” and, of course, “fun for the entire family.”
The idea was developed by entrepreneur Paddy Dunning, Berlin-based architecture studio Dan Pearlman and backed by the commercial real estate company Enterprise Ireland. Read More
Meet The Giant – the world’s tallest moving statue, built by Irish hands
The Irish Post: A COLOSSAL moving statue built by an Irish company is being billed as one of the most exciting visitor attraction concepts of the 21st century.
The Giant, which was conceived by Dublin-based The Giant Company, led by entrepreneur Paddy Dunning, is the world’s tallest moving statue, standing over 10 stories high.
It comes complete with exhibition space, a roof garden, dining facilities and a viewing tower – allowing visitors to literally stand on the shoulders of a giant and look out over the city below.
The Giant’s arms and head can move positions and its patented skin, a matrix of millions of programmable LED pixels, gives it the ability to instantly take the form of any man or woman – from historical figures to celebrity stars, or simple selfies of its visitors.
Supported by Enterprise Ireland and the world’s largest commercial real estate company, CBRE, the concept for The Giant includes the multi-storey statue mounted on a plinth housing a novel exhibition.
The ambitious project, which is still under development, is now seeking funding and investors to help make the concept a reality. Read More
Sources
- A giant, shape-shifting statue that talks could be coming to Phoenix. Here’s what we know (May 6th, 2021) – AZCentral
- Meet The Giant – the world’s tallest moving statue, built by Irish hands (March 16th, 2021) – The Irish Post
- The Giant Company
- Pneuma – Blue Letter Bible