Life Imitates Sci-Fi

By: Chris Johnson

Since the creation of computers, artificial intelligence has been a staple of science fiction for decades. The arc of tech development has been obvious from the beginning – as each generation of computer is followed by something smaller, faster, more mobile, and able to store more information, the obvious question has been, “what happens when they become smarter than us?”

The Terminator franchise beginning in the ’80s, 1999s The Matrix, Steven Spielberg’s AI: Artificial Intelligence movie in 2001, and 2008s Eagle Eye are just a few examples of Hollywood productions musing on what a future with digital superintelligences might hold. More recently, the movie adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune novel from the ’70s takes place in the aftermath of such a world. What they all have in common is an assumption that at some point, our own technology will turn against us, most often because of a misunderstanding of their purpose.

This has made for some great fiction, but as the tech we’re beginning to see in the real world catches up with sci-fi plot devices, we have to wonder how far-fetched some of that fiction actually was. Were the nerds who were able to predict what kind of technology we would have in their future also right about the challenges it would bring?

Elon Musk’s X just released an updated version of their AI, Grok 3; Amazon just announced they’re updating their Alexa devices with AI; Samsung’s newest line of phones features AI enhancements; it’s everywhere – and, it’s all only going to continue to get smaller, faster, and more mobile.

Alongside the development of AI is the advancement of robot technology. Musk is already developing an AI household “servant,” intended to do everyday household chores, called Optimus, which he predicts will someday in the not-too-distant future be ubiquitous in the developed world.

World powers including China and the US have already demonstrated their development of weapon-carrying AI robot quadrupeds.

For now, engineers are still working on bipedal robots’ manipulation of slopes, stairs, and the dexterity of mechanical fingers, but they’ve made incredible progress already and there’s no reason to doubt that this too will come with time.

Video of prototype of a robot from a company called “Clone” was released to X in February. What sets Clone’s product apart is that it takes its design from the human body, utilizing apparently hydraulic, although very real looking, muscles draped on a facsimile of a human skeleton, meaning – aside from the “skin” tone, its body is indistinguishable from a human body. Let me caution you that the embedded video of the robot’s movement may be disturbing, though it’s hard to say exactly why.

This technology will change the world. It will raise new and difficult ethical questions which most of the people in control of the technology will probably not care about. In fact, it will challenge the same Biblical principles that the transgender movement did, just as that threat seems to be weakening.

What is a man or a woman? Are we just the sum of our parts? What if those parts are made in a lab, instead of the womb? What is special about humanity? If AI says the best course of action is something that God says is reprehensible, with Whom should we side?

If these seem like ridiculous questions to us, it’s only because we’re not coming to grips with the technology that’s being developed right now.

As is always the first step in times of trouble, let us plant our feet on God’s Word – knowing what HE says about issues like the value of humanity and of human life.

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