Living in the Era of AI

My dear Friends,

Last week the BBC reported that "a top researcher from Anthropic has warned the AI is advancing so quickly that he believes the there is a greater than 10% chance that it could kill all humans within the next decade." Other experts have also suggested that they are worried and that "technology might develop and improve itself soon, to the point when it posed an existential risk to humanity."

Perhaps this should come as no surprise, after all we created the atom bomb and then used it, to devastating effect. We have developed AI and await what harm, as well as what good, it will do. But what do we do in the meantime?

There are some who, at the prospect of humanity being terminated by an instrument of our own making, will take the opportunity to indulge their default position which is to live greedily and selfishly. They will adapt the old maxim, "Eat, drink, for tomorrow we die," and live accordingly. But some of us may well choose to live rather differently. Even for those who may try to ignore the alarmist dimension of this declaration, it is a reality check and at some level of our thinking we may well be considering "What if?"

The warning said that something may happen within ten years, it`s quite a time in some ways, though nothing in comparison with the history of human evolution. Perhaps like you I can look back at the decades of my life and see the dramatic or not so dramatic changes that have happened: to my life, to my circumstances, to my finances, to my relationships, to my health, to my appearance! Ten years.....

And, should these be the final ten years of human life, then let them be our best. Taking inspiration from Jesus` Beatitudes, (Luke 6 v 20-26 and Matthew 5 v 3-12) let us look again at what we value in human life and who we value and compare it with the values of Jesus.

• Let us treat the weak more gently, those who find it hard to fit in with more tenderness.

• Let us look at what is wrong with how we do "society" and amend those things to give people a better quality of life.

• Let us take more delight in the precious beauty of the natural world.

• Let us find extra opportunities for loving and for resting in the love of others.

• Let us find new ways of expressing our gratitude for the gift of existing.

• Let us pour extra money and resources into physical and mental heath care to improve the time that may be left for others.

• Let us commit to nurturing our children and young people with those influences which will help them be more resilient and creative, compassionate and more outward looking. Let us take the opportunity to re-evaluate our lives and recognise those we owe something to, in terms of gratitude for their encouragement, loyalty, generosity, intervention in our education, health or any other experience of life.

• Let us take time to tend to our inner life, enjoy moments of quiet contemplation, learn to live more comfortably and at ease with ourselves. This may require saying sorry to others for something which is on our conscience, for wrong choices we have made, selfish behaviour, greedy responses, which have impacted negatively on other people.

• Let us get to know our neighbours better and take trouble in understanding who they are and why they are as they are, listening carefully to their stories.

• Let us create more music and poetry which inspires awe and wonder; plays and programmes which provoke more thought; let us deal gently with one another`s vulnerability and commit to other people`s wellbeing an happiness. If this were to be the last chords in the symphony of human existence, then let them be the most glorious of all.

But, though only a small fraction of me considers this warning to be remotely possible in terms of it coming into being, is not this warning the reality you and I live with all the time anyway, for ourselves and for others? Our lives are finite. None of us knows how much time we have left of quality life and of opportunities. Though it may not be AI that causes our personal demise in the next ten years, it may be cancer, it may be an accident. Life is precious, every day is precious, time is precious, each moment is precious, so perhaps we should live more consciously with this precious awareness.

The early Church thought that the end of the world was coming at any moment. Theologians fashioned the term, "living in the eschatological tension." Jesus wasn`t specific in His teaching about the end of the world and the second coming. St Paul writes to the people of the early Church saying that we should prepare ourselves to be held to account at any moment and not make long term plans! (Thessalonians 5 v 1-11) Our own mortality may not be something we enjoy contemplating that often, but it us a fact for all of us and the question is - how do we live in relation to it?

I remember one lady in a previous parish who had been told that she was terminally ill. "I am dying" she kept on saying, and kept on saying for what turned out to be over three years. Her long suffering husband did once turn to her and say, "You are also still living dear!" for she had chosen to live very much under the shadow of the prospect of dying, to the destruction of her ability to live fully while she had the chance, to enjoy her family, to delight in her grandchildren. She was already allowing the prospect of death to rob her of what remained of her life. Whereas I know of others who have been told that they were terminally ill who have embraced the time they have had left and lived fully, joyfully and gratefully.

However much time we personally, or as a species, have left on this precious planet; this beautiful, fragile, resilient spinning globe of which we are part, let us live as fully, joyfully and gratefully as possible. Let us build bridges with other people; learn about other cultures and about what is important to them and why; let us grow in awareness and respect for other`s experiences of life which has perhaps been caused or affected by experiences so different from our own. Let us learn that love is not just the experience of being loved and accepted by those who appreciate us, but that it is often costly and painful to love others, accept, affirm, believe in those who find it hard to believe in themselves.

You, I, those who surround us, those who walk our streets, play in our parks, travel with us on the train, people of all ages, circumstances, classes, experiences of life, have so much potential for doing good.

So let me ask you, what do you believe would create the circumstances for unleashing that creative energy which would issue in a new experience of being alive, of being family, of being community, of being society?

Perhaps the reality check we are currently being confronted by, that the AI which we have been instrumental in developing now has the potential to destroy us, forces us all to ask- what does this tell us about ourselves and our capacity to create that which destroys?

And let us consider, each and every one of us, what the most constructive thing is that we can do, in the current context confronting us? Why not commit to coming together more closely, encouraging one another with affirmation and with hope, noticing who may be feeling vulnerable, marginalised or frightened and offering them compassionate friendship, a sense of belonging, being believed in and valued. Why not engage more fully in what is going on and try to be an agent for constructive change. Why not be more involved in the work of charities which seek to improve the lives and life experience of others. Why not spend more time enjoying the company of old friends and making new friends.

Christians have always lived with the prospect that Christ may come again at any moment, at the culmination of creation. Let us always live in that "eschatological tension" and do so joyfully, compassionately and creatively, allowing ourselves to be influenced and inspired by the Spirit of the living God who always offers us the reassurance and resources of hope and renewal every time we turn to Him.

Let us say a resounding NO to all that seeks to promote fear and factionalism and a resounding YES to all that seeks to celebrate the gift of life and enhances and extends human life, health, community and wellbeing, for ourselves and hopefully for generations to come.

With blessings and best wishes,

Jeff