Think of ChatGPT as a far more sophisticated version of Google. It’s an AI language model designed to generate human-like responses to various questions, from recipes to historical context to computer code and much more in mere seconds.
It’s surpassed the million-user marker in about a week of its introduction. For context, it took companies like Facebook several months to achieve the same success.
While the AI model is entertaining and educational, several terrifying ethical dilemmas exist in its usage and popularity.
ChatGPT is infiltrating our lives everywhere
From musicians to cooks to mechanics or computer scientists to doctors and lawyers or police officers and teachers, the chatbot is finding itself in almost every realm of our society. Its uses are plenty, however, do the benefits outweigh the risks?
It seems innocent enough to ask the chatbot how to bake a cake, how many jars of peanut butter it would take to fill the Grand Canyon, or what Pangea is. Even having the bot handle basic customer service questions on your website, proofreading your essay, or tasking it with correcting code for you all seem like beneficial use cases for the AI bot. At what point, however, does the utilization of ChatGPT cross the line? At what point does ChatGPT replace all our professions? At what point does Arnold Schwarzenegger step in to save us all?
As we inch closer to 2029 (the year the Terminator was sent from), the fear of a hostile takeover from AI bots seems more and more possible. To escape the notions of a dystopian future, many of us may turn to churches or other holy places to find peace. Surprisingly, ChatGPT has even infiltrated homes of worship.
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Can ChatGPT be used to aid spiritual worship?
A New York Rabbi recently went viral for delivering a sermon written by ChatGPT to his congregation, causing many to question the humanity in such an act. One can argue the appeal here is the Rabbi, Pastor, Priest, or whoever can save precious time by having AI write their sermons, time that can then be reallocated to the congregation.
On the other hand, sermons are meant to be emphatic, loving, and profound – things that ChatGPT is apparently no good at. Even so, the congregants applauded the Rabbi’s sermon as they would have with any other. “Now, [they’re] clapping — I’m deathly afraid. I thought truck drivers would go long before the Rabbi in terms of losing our positions to artificial intelligence,” says Rabbi Franklin.
Other faith leaders, rightfully so, adamantly disagree and believe the AI bot could never replace those who preach. “AI will never be able to preach a decent sermon. Why? Because the gospel is more than words. It’s the evidence of a changed life,” says Mike Glen, a Brentwood, Tennessee pastor of 32 years.
Hershael York, a Kentucky pastor, also believes AI could never deliver true passion in its sermon generation. “I don’t think it can ever give any kind of a sense of suffering, grief, sorrow, the same way that a human being can,” he said. “It comes from deep within the heart and the soul — that’s what the great preachers have, and I don’t think you can get that by proxy.”
Can AI be trusted?
Similar to Rabbi Franklin, Pastor Rachael Keefe of Minneapolis also found use in the bot; however, quickly found its presence creepy and eerie. She published a brief essay written by ChatGPT to her online Pastoral Notes “addressing how to attend to one’s mental health amid the stresses of the holiday season.” Pastor Keefe admitted that while the essay was factual, “there was something deeper missing. AI cannot understand community and inclusivity and how important these things are in creating church.”
Is your pastor real or a robot?
Utilizing ChatGPT, especially in a spiritual setting, can be dehumanizing as it replaces the human experience and connection integral to religious practices with a machine-generated output. It lacks the human input and understanding necessary for crafting sermons grounded in theological and moral guidance, as well as cultural and community values.
By solely relying on ChatGPT to write a sermon or any other character-developing task, the individual robs themselves of personal growth. Particularly in a spiritual environment, the over-dependence and reliance on ChatGPT by both the congregate and spiritual leaders can result in the negligence of one’s spiritual growth and relationship with God.
Whether in church or any other setting, how can we ensure that people understand the limitations and capabilities of ChatGPT and grant informed consent to either sit in and listen to a Pastor preach, a musician sing, read a book, or play a game, all written or created by AI.
Can we be sure that the conversations being had with the AI chatbot, especially when used as a spiritual resource, remain private and that whatever information is shared remains protected?
Final Thoughts
So far, ChatGPT is incapable of showing compassion, sympathy, grief suffering, or any other raw human emotion, so for now, you will likely be able to spot ChatGPT-generated content. Although this new technology can help optimize a faith leader’s day, and should be used as a resource, to an extent, its existence is beyond frightening.
What are your thoughts on pastors, preachers, priests, or rabbis using ChatGPT to write their sermons?