Can AI Chatbots Reflect the Image of God? Insights from Dr. Derek Schuurman 

What is truth, and what does it mean to be human? People have been trying to answer these questions for millennia, and with the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in recent years, these philosophical queries have become even more relevant. These chatbots can mimic conversations with dead people, living people, people who really existed...and people who never did. Is this rising technology a horror to be feared, an achievement to celebrate or something else entirely? 

This was the question raised at a Center for Faith and Inquiry event on November 21 featuring Dr. Derek C. Schuurman, professor of computer science at Calvin University and a fellow of the American Scientific Affiliation. Using the biblical story as a lens, he offered comments on the pros and cons of AI chatbots for humanity and how we as Christians can respond to this technological development responsibly and faithfully. 

AI Chatbots: Pros and Cons 

AI has been around for a long time, but the development of large language models (LLMs), the science behind chatbots, is what really brought this technology to the public square. AI chatbots parse large sets of information (e.g., data, writing, images). The chatbots then analyze the data to build statistical models that are unsurprised by new data and that can use the information to perform actions, like putting together sequences of words to answer a question.   

Schuurman himself worked to build an AI chatbot to speak like C. S. Lewis, using his writings as a training model; you can ask it a question, and the chatbot seems to answer in the voice of Lewis himself. AI has led to some amazing developments such as speedy Bible translation, tutors for struggling students, customer support chatbots and organizers that process medical data so doctors can spend more time with patients. 

But there are drawbacks to artificial intelligence. AI allows users to concoct videos and images of people doing or saying things they never did. Lonely humans are talking to AI dating bots and even falling in love with them out of a desperate need for human connection. People have even changed their opinions on topics like religion or climate change based on data presented by chatbots—data that didn’t turn out to be factual. 

“In the words of John Culkin, we shape our tools, but then our tools shape us,” Schuurman said. “Our grandchildren could find themselves in a post-epistemic world where it's difficult or impossible to distinguish facts from fiction. We can't believe what we see anymore. We can't believe what we hear. We can't believe what we read. How do we cling to the truth?” 

AI and Faith 

Our culture has two common reactions to the rise of AI chatbots: some say it will be the death of humanity; others claim it will be the savior. But Schuurman says a biblical view of artificial intelligence rejects this binary. The order of creation shows that humans are made in the imago dei, the image of God—something AI can never achieve. Though humanity is broken, Jesus died to redeem it. As part of the imago dei, Christians are called to be agents of reconciliation and good stewards of creation, including technology. 

“We're given this cultural mandate in the beginning of Genesis to responsibly unfold all of the possibilities in creation. And when we think about creation, we have to think about more than just birds and bees and planets and stars. God's creation is all of the things that he has ordained. It encompasses all of the possibilities in creation, including AI and computers. God is not surprised that we can throw together LLMs and neural networks. These are all things that were hidden in creation right from the beginning, and that we're only now beginning to uncover,” Schuurman said. 

Like many human discoveries AI is neither inherently evil or good; it’s a tool that can be used in either direction. Schuurman used the example of gold, a precious metal that Israel used to make an idol in Exodus 32—but it’s also the metal the Israelites used to gild the Holy of Holies in the Temple. “We have to make sure that we deal with things that alleviate burdens while not destroying what's good,” Schuurman said. 

Be Ready to Listen  

Schuurman encouraged Christians to be part of the conversation around AI. Because AI is a powerful and potentially dangerous tool, Schuurman believes it should be regulated to create guardrails that protect people and their information. To make this happen we need to be part of respectful dialogue with others who have different beliefs and opinions so we can find solutions where all flourish––a charge that echoes CFI’s annual theme, “Ready to Listen, Learning to Talk.” 

“Brad Smith, who's president of Microsoft, says that a global conversation about ethical principles for AI will require an even bigger tent to be raised,” Schuurman said. “There will need to be seats at the table, not only for technologists, governments, nonprofits and educators, but also for philosophers and representatives of the many world religions. Will Christians be ready for these conversations when they happen?”