“Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge?
Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”
From T.S. Eliot, the Rock (1934)
In the last week of November 2022, an artificial intelligence research lab called OpenAI launched a program called ChatGPT. GPT stands for “generative pre-trained transformer.” What exactly does that mean? Perhaps you should ask the program itself.
In the words of OpenAI, ChatGPT is “a model which interacts in a conversational way,” gathering information to user questions online and communicating responses to users in a way that mimics human authorship with incredible effectiveness.
Designed in the form of a virtual conversation partner, ChatGPT has the capability to produce an essay on any given topic in a matter of seconds. (To High School English Teachers: All the best…)
ChatGPT surpassed 1 million users on the platform in its first 5 days open to the public. It’s a fascinating program and quite competent.
As an example, here’s the response I received when I asked ChatGPT, “Share with me the value of integrating my faith and daily work, from a Christian viewpoint:”
Integrating your faith and daily work can provide a sense of purpose and meaning in your life. It can also help you to live out the values and principles of your faith in a practical way, and to use your talents and abilities to serve others. This can bring fulfillment and joy, and can help to deepen your relationship with God. Additionally, by living out your faith at work, you can be a positive influence on those around you and can help to create a more positive and compassionate work environment.”
Pretty solid response, right?!
Now before I defer the writing of the NIFW Blog to ChatGPT, I’d like to consider some potential drawbacks around the quick content this program and other AI solutions have to offer. (Did you know that programs have recently emerged where you train for your next athletic achievement with an AI Coach or even consult with an AI Counselor for Behavioral Health Therapy?)
An attribute that the authors of the Old Testament Wisdom literature repeatedly commend in their writing is the ability to discern the truth and skillfully put knowledge into action. This attribute, of course, is Wisdom.
The scriptures teach that a characteristic of mature faith is the ability to filter through information in such a way that reflects an understanding of what is good and true, as well as the ability to put that knowledge into practice. Without this skill, we will continually feel off balance as we seek to navigate a complex world where significant amounts of information are literally accessible at our fingertips.
The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have get understanding
Proverbs 4:7
What we find with ChatGPT and similar programs is an incredible proficiency in gathering data and synthesizing information into an end product. Programs like ChatGPT are quite capable of performing this task. Most of the time… one author notes, when [ChatGPT was asked] to write up a quarterly earnings story for Tesla, it spit back a smoothly worded article free of grammatical errors or verbal confusion, but it also plugged in a random set of numbers that did not correspond to any real Tesla report.
AI has the ability to produce content from information, but it can only produce a solution according to the resources it probes, and certainly, as Christians, we believe that not all sources from which we can gain knowledge are equal.
Where ChatGPT and similar programs are potentially most harmful is, they cause us to minimize the importance of critical thinking as it relates to our human pursuit of understanding. Biblically speaking, discerning what is true is a task of the mind, heart, and spirit. Wisdom cannot be coded into a computer program.
To ask ChatGPT to write a paragraph on a question like “What is the best way to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, from the perspective of a gourmet Chef?” can be really fun, and will likely produce an interesting result. But to rely on AI when seeking solutions to our most significant questions and problems as human beings is absolutely a mistake. When we outsource the process of thinking to artificial producers, the more complacent we will become in seeking the truth, the less hungry we will be for the kind of deeper understanding that comes through genuine personal engagement with ideas, and the more unfamiliar we will be with the skill of faithfully putting truth into practice.
It’s no coincidence that in an age where information, virtual connections, and computer-based solutions are more readily available than ever before, loneliness, fear of missing out, and confusion around what is good and true are also at an all-time high. Rather than outsourcing our need for help with important matters in our lives to computer programs that gather and package information or neglecting the “real” because of the ease of the “virtual,” we do much better to ground ourselves in relationships with people and institutions that have proven themselves to be faithful and trustworthy as stewards of knowledge. We do best to root ourselves in community with others who are journeying in life and faith, and dialoguing in thoughtful ways about how we can best navigate the challenges and opportunities each of us faces.
This process of growing in knowledge and wisdom cannot be attained instantaneously. Maturity takes time. It requires patience, but engaging this process with mind, heart, and spirit will produce a more robust faith in our lives and deeper fruitfulness in our work and engagement with the world.
My son, pay attention to what I say. Remember my commands. Listen to wisdom, and do your best to understand. Ask for good judgment. Cry out for understanding. Look for wisdom like silver. Search for it like hidden treasure. If you do this, you will understand what it means to respect the Lord, and you will come to know God. The Lord is the source of wisdom; knowledge and understanding come from his mouth.
Proverbs 2:1-6
