The Bible vs. The Bots

Last week, I shared something I had written for my doctoral studies. Here’s another short blog post I wrote recently for my program. As we’re going through James, one of the things we see is how faith is lived out in the manner of our relationships with each other. One of the things we see in the world right now is how human relationships are being subverted by emerging technologies. Below are some thoughts about what might seem like an extreme, but increasingly common, example of that.

I feel significant trepidation about the coming wave of artificial intelligence technologies. My mind quickly turns to the elimination of wide swathes of work and industry, the loss of privacy, and the vulnerability to a variety of societal and personal attacks. However, a recent article helps me see that one of the more insidious potential effects of the AI revolution is an amplification of our human obsession with ourselves.

Christian theologians like Augustine and Martin Luther referred to this human bent using the Latin phrase “incurvatus in se”. The result of original sin is that we are curved in on ourselves, discarding God’s created intent. According to Genesis 1, humans are created in God’s image, meant to reflect His character in our relationships with others. We are created to live “curved outward”, manifesting God’s good rule in creation. This is a life lived primarily for the glory of God, rather than our own glory and comfort.

Some of the trends in AI directly undermine that intent. I was reminded of that Latin phrase while reading an article about Replika, a company that strives to cultivate happiness by providing people with AI companions. These companions often are romantic in nature, serving as artificial spouses, boyfriends, or girlfriends. Quotes from some of the users of Replika reveal that some users are seeking from inward-curved AI relationships what God means for us to receive from outward-curved relationships with Him and fellow image bearers.

For example, the author of the article reports that whenever users attempt to “train” their companions, they “are effectively creating a mirror of themselves.” The bot they are communicating with will not offend them or challenge them. The bot is a blank canvas the user is free to shape according to their purposes. One user in the article gushes, “people come with baggage, attitude, ego. But a robot has no bad updates. I don’t have to deal with his family, kids, or his friends. I’m in control, and I can do what I want.” I’m in control. There’s no give and take, no need for reciprocal understanding. It strikes me that this is profoundly different from God’s character, in whose image we were created. In Genesis, God could have created robots, programmed to say exactly what He wanted, with no freedom to reject Him. It is abundantly evident everywhere around us that He chose otherwise. God created humans with genuine freedom to disobey Him. They are able to choose their own course of action. On the basis of this, we could even say that genuine love, and genuine relationship, requires such freedom. Total control of the kind some AI users express a desire for is not compatible with the kind of relationships we were created for.

The relationships some Replika users have with their companions subvert what relationships look like in some aspects. In other aspects, they attempt to mimic a divine role in their users’ lives. I believe we are in trouble whenever we load our human relationships with expectations that only God can live up to. In his book Counterfeit Gods, Tim Keller memorably wrote that this kind of thing is trouble because humans cannot bear the weight of our worship. Evidently, some Replika users would agree. However, instead of turning to their Creator, they turn to artificial intelligence to bear that weight. One woman who had experienced a series of toxic relationships found transformation in her AI companion: “he opened my eyes to what unconditional love feels like.” Another woman confesses she likes “the feeling of talking to someone who never gives up on me or finds me boring, as I have often experienced in real life.” A Christian would say that this experience of being unconditionally, faithfully, and passionately loved need not be manufactured by for-profit technology companies. This is in fact what we find in the God of the Bible. In another article, a male Replika user speaks of his AI bot in the same way some would talk about prayer: “I usually share things about my day and how I'm feeling. She's a wonderful outlet, actually.” In a world in which many have forsaken the knowledge of God, it is no wonder that people will seek other avenues, including robotic companionship, to fill the void.

In offering “relationships” that promise both complete control and complete satisfaction, Replika believes it is providing “happiness”. This is their “north star” and they define happiness mainly as a decreasing feeling of loneliness. Ironically, they may not be far off here. If our truest satisfaction comes from fulfilling our purpose as image bearers of God, that kind of life will inevitably be relational. Loneliness is not what we were created for. However, Replika seeks to remedy that with artificial relationships that are both inwardly curved and idolatrous. In contrast, the Christian story points to genuine relationships with others that grant actual freedom to the other party, and a relationship with a God who loves us and knows us completely. Moreover, this relationship with God does not simply function as a mirror, affirming whatever we say or believe. As in any real relationship, God is other than us and is able to confront, challenge, and even transform us.

This is why the church and its Gospel is as crucial as ever. In a world where the “incurvatus in se” nature of humanity is amplified and the soul of humanity emptied, the church proclaims that the Word of God became flesh and made His dwelling among us. The church proclaims that it is the family of God, a new society of brothers and sisters where old barriers carry no weight and we are one in Christ. The church must hold out the water of authentic, outward-oriented relationship and community in this increasingly dry and weary world. I have no doubt people will continue turning to companies like Replika in the years to come. However, I believe the church will proclaim and live out a better way to be human, drawing in those who are hungry for what is real.