Theology and AI (Efficient or Humanistic Society)

One of the major concerns that people have expressed over the years with AI is the potential for misuse. There are many areas in which AI is proving to be very beneficial. At the same time, it has the potential to be used in a way that is beyond the ethical and moral issues we normally focus on. It took less than six hours for a drug-developing AI to invent 40,000 potentially lethal molecules. Researchers put AI, normally used to search for helpful drugs, into a kind of “bad actor” mode to show how easily it could be abused at a biological arms control conference. [1] Another example is how video footage and pictures captured without people’s knowledge are misused. There is recording everywhere now, and in some scenarios, when it is combined with AI has been used to collect information about individuals without their knowledge. If you use a smartphone, you know that every moment is already captured. The places you visited, the things you searched, and even your conversation are cap...

The use of AI is increasing in many fields, and it is more visible in some areas than others. We are already using AI without realizing on knowing about it. If you use voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, or Google Home, you are already using AI. Entertainment streaming apps, smart input keyboards, security surveillance cameras, and navigation apps already have AI.    The use of AI in education is making a lot of progress. A cousin of IBM's Jeopardy-winning Watson, Jill is an AI-enabled teaching assistant who can answer student questions about a particular class and curriculum. This was mainly used to answer questions in a right or wrong way. New developments point to AI being used as tutors who can do more than answer questions. The Walden AI-powered tutor, named Julian ™, is built with Google Cloud's AI and machine learning (ML) capabilities, driving personalized experiences and knowledge mastery through various educational engagement activities. I feel that if more dev...

Bias in AI has been an issue that has raised a lot of concerns. There have been instances where human bias has been carried over to AI algorithms and has impacted the decision-making process.  One area where it had an impact was in reviewing resumes and vetting out candidates. In November 2021, New York City council passed a law on automated employment decision tools , which goes into effect from January 1 st , 2023. The law prohibits the use of an automated employment decision tool to screen a candidate or employee for an employment decision unless: The tool has been the subject of a Bias Audit; The Bias Audit has been completed no more than one year before the use of the tool; A summary of the results of the most recent bias audit is made publicly available on the employer’s website before using the tool. You can read more details about how this law applies here - https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/nyc-artificial-intelligence-law-on-5739723/

AI research is focused on many areas. There is a lot of research going on in medical science. Many updates are coming out every week, and what caught my attention last week is from Mayo Clinic research.  There is work in progress to predict in real-time whether someone in labor will experience a successful vaginal delivery with positive health outcomes for both the mother and baby. There are labor charts that monitor the progress of labor, but they can miss many factors. This AI model is supposed to use a lot more data points. The algorithms were trained to take into account more than 700 variables related to labor and delivery. More details and the news release is here - Mayo Clinic study shows successful labor outcomes in expectant mothers using AI - Mayo Clinic News Network

Many advancements are happening in the field of medical science using AI. I have shared some of them in earlier posts. One development that caught my attention recently is about researchers at Johns Hopkins University developing an AI approach they say can help predict if and when a person could die of cardiac arrest based on imaging scans of the heart.  AI can analyze the scar tissue patterns that develop in the cardiac muscles over time due to heart disease. The AI could predict a person's risk up to ten years in advance. The research paper is published in Nature Cardiovascular Research. If you are interested in more details, you can find them AI Cardiac arrests .  Another related development from Mayo Clinic last year was AI spotting early-stage heart disease in routine EKG data. 

When a person dies, they leave behind memories for others. Some of them are good, and some may not be that great. We still read and learn about many people who lived centuries ago through history or writing. There is a natural acceptance that the person who died will not come back, and people move on after a period of grieving. One to three generations may know and talk about previous generations. Now let us get to something new, which is related to AI. Using AI, there is a new way to have the dead person talk and answer questions. It is not some sorcery or speaking to spirits. The video is recorded in advance and used during memorial or funeral service. With the help of AI, the dead person will address the questions which people ask and will talk to people. An AI tool called StoryFile enabled funeral attendees to interact in a real conversation. The technology creates the illusion of a real-time conversation. StoryFile made its services available in the UK recently, while the service...

The knowledge of God or omniscience is a mental attribute that refers to the ability to know everything. Grudem in Systematic Theology has described that as “God fully knows himself and all things actual and possible in one single and eternal act.” [1]   According to Don Hoffman in The Divine Attributes: Exploring the Philosophy of Religion, “it is the sort of knowledge that a maximally great being would possess.” [2] The quality of knowing everything is called “omniscience.” Since God is all-knowing, he is omniscient. Though God is infinite or unlimited, he knows himself fully. God possesses infinite intelligence. According to David Clark in To Know and Love God , God's knowledge is what God rightly believes as true. God is omniscient; he possesses infinite intelligence. God's knowledge— his grasp of the way things are— is fully adequate, both extensively and intensively. He comprehensively knows all facts, and his grasp of them constitutes a conceptual framework that is a...

Transhumanism is the belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by utilizing science and technology. At times it is also referred to as Human 2.0. There is a viewpoint that humans can change or upgrade them to be cyborgs- part human and part machine. The topic of posthumanism and transhumanism are important in AI discussions. Scott A. Midson discusses this topic and states that, "Closer analysis of the teleology of transhumanism, however, reveals a concrete vision of the movement that can be regarded as slightly yet significantly different to the undergirding substantive interpretation of the human. While this foundational assumption of human nature can be used to link Christianity, humanism and transhumanism, the transhumanist vision of the future reveals a more nuanced understanding of the human that may compete with the Christian eschatological vision." [1] "Many transhumanists wish to follow life...

AI has gained popularity in recent years, and its usage has gone up way more than the general public is realizing. Just like exponential technological advancements seen in recent years, AI applications have also grown. Many technology companies are pursuing AI and looking for ways to incorporate it to automate business processes. According to James Vincent, AI Research and Development are booming, but general intelligence is still out of reach. After reviewing the AI Index 2019 Annual Report, he has highlighted the main trends in AI. [1] AI research has gained much momentum, and “Between 1998 and 2018, there has been a 300 percent increase in the publication of peer-reviewed papers on AI. Attendance at conferences has also surged; the biggest, NeurIPS, is expecting 13,500 attendees this year, up 800 percent from 2012.”  AI education is also growing, with over twenty-one percent of computer science PhDs related to AI. AI algorithms are also becoming faster and cheaper to train. Th...

Let me start this post with a word of advice!  As we have more access to information in this age, our awareness of different issues has grown exponentially. The challenge is to filter the information flow since there is much fake information. False information can create anxiety and cause depression and anger. One area in which we hear a lot of news nowadays is health. I know of people whose primary doctor is Google search. Due to the abundance of information, please really get confused. I heard an incident where a patient challenged the doctor’s prescription because their research online taught them things that even the doctor did not know. One thing we have to remember is that people usually post bad experiences more than good experiences. I know that we will not make an effort unless an incentive is given to write or post about positive and great experiences. If we experience something wrong, we do not need any encouragement and will be willing to spend our time. We have to ...

One of the areas where AI was expected and is making progress is the medical field. Recently I came across a scenario where robotic surgery was recommended by the doctor. I discussed in detail what will the robot do. Knowing how AI works, I was concerned if the robot would do the whole procedure.  The doctor explained how she would manage and guide the procedure.  Basically, they explained to me that it would be like a video game, and they would play it and the robot will be performing the actions. My question was if they knew how the play it well. They assured me that they know it very well. The primary doctor admitted that it is too early to use AI for these things. She was very much interested in this topic and does research on it. We had a good discussion about my background in AI and theology research. Now that does not mean AI in patient care is not possible. There are many areas where it is being used. AI is improving the efficiency and quality of care on many fronts, s...

  Robots are used for surgical procedures for many years now.  I was told by one of my friends a few years ago that for a procedure he underwent, robots were used. There are still people who have concerns about this and who opt out of robots performing the procedure for them. There are also people who think robots are better than humans for this purpose as they will be more accurate and less likely to make mistakes like humans. AI-driven surgical robots are gaining prominence in healthcare. There are big technology companies investing in this area and there is tremendous growth seen in North America.  As technology and algorithms used for this purpose get better, we may see this trend growing and in many cases will be beneficial for people.  I am sharing this blog for awareness purposes. If you are more interested in reading more about this trend please visit the link for more in-depth details on this topic -  Companies In The Artificial Intelligence In Healthca...

Those familiar with technology may have heard the word Deep fakes. From Wikipedia - Deepfakes (a portmanteau of "deep learning" and "fake") are synthetic media in which a person in an existing image or video is replaced with someone else's likeness. While the act of faking content is not new, Deep fakes leverage powerful techniques from machine learning and artificial intelligence to manipulate or generate visual and audio content with a high potential to deceive. The main machine learning methods used to create Deep fakes are based on deep learning and involve training generative neural network architectures, such as autoencoders or generative adversarial networks (GANs). Now adding AI to the Deep fakes can be compelling ad can be used in a way that can be dangerous. According to reports, it is used for morally and ethically wrong purposes. It can be used for mind manipulation or conditioning to accomplish selfish ambitions. We have heard how algorithms ...

According to Zara Stone, “On October 25, 2017, a delicate-looking woman with doe-brown eyes and long fluttery eyelashes made international headlines.” [1] Sophia, a robot, was granted full citizenship of Saudi Arabia, the first robot in the world to achieve such a status. Sophia's announcement was a calculated publicity stunt to generate headlines. A Chinese man married a robot he built himself. [2] Companies are selling AI sex robots that integrate internet technology, interactive voice system, sensing technology, mechanical and electrical integration technology. [3] The pursuit of sexual pleasure is used as justification for the development and use of AI, and it is used for sexual purposes. AI started to become better with the use of machine learning techniques. The recent AI boom is triggered by the use of the deep learning technique, a type of machine learning that trains a computer to perform tasks that are typically done by humans. It includes speech recognition, image id...