The Unseen Realm Week 13

Is AI evolving on it’s own?

The concept of AI evolving on its own brings up images of AI systems autonomously improving or developing without human intervention, a topic often explored in science fiction. However, the reality of AI development is more nuanced and grounded.

As of now, AI does not evolve or improve entirely on its own in the way that biological organisms do through natural selection. AI development and improvement are predominantly driven by human input, including the design of algorithms, the selection of training data, and decisions about deployment and updates. Here are some key points to consider:

Machine Learning and Optimization:

AI systems, particularly those based on machine learning, are designed to optimize their performance through algorithms that adjust based on feedback from their performance on tasks. For instance, a facial recognition system may improve its accuracy by learning from new images. However, the criteria for what counts as an improvement, the goals it should achieve, and the data it learns from are all set by humans.

Automated Machine Learning (AutoML):

This is a field of AI that focuses on automating the process of applying machine learning to real-world problems. AutoML can automatically select the best algorithms and tune parameters, but it still operates within frameworks established by human developers.

Reinforcement Learning:

In reinforcement learning, an AI system learns to make decisions by trying to maximize some notion of cumulative reward. The system learns from its own experience, without explicit programming for the task, but the setup of the environment, the rules it operates under, and the rewards it seeks are all defined by humans.

Evolutionary Algorithms:

These algorithms mimic the process of natural evolution to generate solutions to optimization and search problems. They use mechanisms such as mutation, crossover, and selection to evolve solutions. Although this might seem like the AI is evolving on its own, the process is tightly controlled and guided by developers, including the definition of fitness functions and selection pressures.

Adaptive Systems:

Some systems are designed to adapt to new information or changing environments. While these systems can modify their behavior, this adaptation is still a result of human-designed algorithms and not an independent evolutionary process.

Generative Models:

AI systems like Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and transformer-based models (like some versions of GPT) can create new, original outputs based on the data they have been trained on. While impressive, these models operate within the constraints and capabilities imbued by their creators.

In summary, while AI systems can adapt and optimize based on their programming and design, they do not independently evolve in the same way biological entities do. All improvements or adaptations are results of human-designed structures and algorithms. The idea of AI evolving autonomously without any human oversight remains speculative and is currently beyond our technological capabilities.

Will AI soon evolve on it’s own? The idea of AI evolving autonomously without human intervention is a topic of significant debate and speculation among technologists, ethicists, and AI researchers. As of now, AI systems do not evolve on their own in the way biological organisms do, and any "evolution" or adaptation they undergo is directed by human-designed algorithms and objectives. Here are a few considerations regarding the potential for AI to evolve independently in the future:

Technological Constraints: Current AI technologies, including deep learning and machine learning, operate within the confines of their programming and the data provided by humans. They do not possess the ability to redefine their fundamental operating principles or goals. For AI to evolve on its own, it would require a level of autonomy and self-awareness that is far beyond what current technologies permit.

Theoretical Developments: For AI to start evolving autonomously, there would need to be significant breakthroughs in artificial general intelligence (AGI), the branch of AI that pertains to systems that can understand, learn, and apply intelligence across a broad range of tasks, much like a human. AGI would need to include mechanisms for self-modification and adaptation that are currently theoretical.

Safety and Ethics: The prospect of AI systems that can evolve independently raises substantial safety and ethical concerns. Researchers in AI ethics emphasize the importance of aligning AI systems with human values and ensuring they behave safely under all conditions. Autonomous evolution could potentially lead to behaviors or outcomes that are unpredictable and possibly dangerous.

Control and Regulation: As AI technology advances, there is an increasing focus on developing standards and regulations to ensure that AI operates safely and ethically. The idea of AI systems evolving on their own would necessitate a new framework for governance and oversight to manage the risks associated with such capabilities.

Research Direction: The current direction of AI research is largely focused on controlled environments and specific tasks, with human oversight integral to the development and deployment process. Shifting towards models that could evolve autonomously would require a paradigm shift in how AI is researched, developed, and controlled.

In conclusion, while the concept of AI evolving on its own is a fascinating and popular topic in science fiction, it remains speculative within the scientific community. Advancements towards this possibility would require not only significant technological breakthroughs but also careful consideration of the ethical, safety, and regulatory implications. For the foreseeable future, AI development and evolution are expected to remain under human direction and control. How is AI taking the place of humans in culture today?

Automation in Manufacturing and Industry: Robots and automated systems have replaced humans in many repetitive and labor-intensive manufacturing processes. This includes everything from assembling cars to packaging products, significantly reducing the need for human labor and increasing efficiency and precision.

Artificial Intelligence in Service Industries: AI is used to manage customer service through chatbots and virtual assistants. These systems can handle a large volume of queries simultaneously, providing quick responses to customers and reducing the need for human customer service representatives.

Self-driving Vehicles: Autonomous vehicles, including cars, trucks, and drones, are being developed to transport goods and people without human drivers. This technology aims to reduce human error and increase safety on the roads.

Healthcare Automation: Robots and AI systems are increasingly used in healthcare for surgeries, diagnosis, and patient management. Robots can perform precise surgical operations, while AI can analyze medical data to assist with diagnoses and treatment plans, often with greater accuracy than human practitioners.

Smart Agriculture: Technology is replacing human labor in agriculture through the use of drones for crop monitoring, automated tractors for planting and harvesting, and AI systems for analyzing crop health and soil conditions.

Financial Services: In banking and finance, algorithms manage investments, perform high-frequency trading, and provide financial advice with minimal human intervention. These systems can analyze large datasets to make investment decisions faster than human traders.

Content Creation: AI is now capable of generating written content, music, art, and even video content. These technologies can mimic human creativity in many aspects, often producing content at a fraction of the cost and time.

Education Technologies: Online platforms and AI tutors can provide personalized learning experiences to students, adapting to their learning pace and style. This technology can supplement (and sometimes replace) traditional teaching methods, providing education to remote areas where human teachers are scarce.

Law Enforcement: Predictive policing algorithms are used to assess the risk of crime in certain areas, directing police patrols accordingly. Additionally, facial recognition technology is used for surveillance purposes, reducing the need for human monitoring.

. Retail: In retail, technology has introduced self-checkout systems and automated inventory management, reducing the need for cashiers and stock personnel. Online shopping algorithms also personalize the shopping experience and manage logistics and delivery with little human oversight.

Nuggets

Idolatry Redefined: An idol is anything that takes the place of God in our lives—whatever we most revere, serve, or focus on.

The Subtle Shift: Idolatry often begins not with a deliberate turning away from God but with a subtle shift in where we place our attention and what we prioritize.

Bondage vs. Freedom: What promises freedom often leads to bondage. The Israelites turned to the Baalim seeking prosperity but found themselves enslaved.

The Masters We Choose: When we choose to serve modern idols—whether they be success, technology, or pleasure—we are choosing new masters for our lives.

The Irony of Creation: Like the Israelites who worshipped the work of their own hands, we often give ultimate value to our creations (technology, achievements), forgetting they are mere tools, not gods.

Tech as Today’s Idol: Technology, derived from 'techne' (art, skill), has become a modern Baal, shaping our interactions, perceptions, and even thoughts.

Mimicking Our Makings: We become like what we worship. Engaging constantly with digital technology shapes us to be more machine-like in efficiency and less human in empathy.

The Real vs. The Virtual: In a world where the virtual is increasingly real, and the real increasingly virtual, discerning truth becomes more challenging.

Spiritual Vigilance: Constant vigilance is required to ensure that we are not unknowingly worshipping modern Baalim.

. Breaking Free: Identifying and acknowledging our idols is the first step towards spiritual freedom and re-alignment with God’s will.

Introduction (5 minutes)

Welcome and Opening Prayer

Purpose of the Seminar: Explore the concept of idolatry from a historical and contemporary perspective, focusing on how ancient idolatry parallels modern forms.

Section 1: The Identity of a God (10 minutes)

Definition: Discuss the ancient and modern definitions of gods and idols.

Talking Points:

What constitutes a god or an idol?

How do gods and idols manifest in one's life?

Questions for the Group:

What do you most focus on or dwell upon in your daily life?

How can something become an idol without our conscious intention?

Section 2: The Baalim in Ancient Israel (10 minutes)

Historical Context: Introduce the Baalim as the deities that Israel turned to.

Talking Points:

The meaning of "Baalim" and its implications for Israel.

How the worship of Baalim represented a shift in Israel's spiritual and social structures.

Questions for the Group:

What were the consequences for Israel when they turned to the Baalim?

Can we draw parallels between the Israelites' experiences and modern societal shifts?

Section 3: Lords of America – The Modern Baalim (15 minutes)

Contemporary Application: Examine how modern idols are similar to the ancient Baalim.

Talking Points:

Identification of modern idols: technology, success, materialism.

The impact of these idols on individual and societal well-being.

Questions for the Group:

What are the modern "Baalim" that we encounter in our daily lives?

How do these idols affect our relationship with God and with others?

Section 4: The High-Tech Idol (10 minutes)

Focus on Technology as an Idol: Discuss the role of technology as a modern Baal.

Talking Points:

The concept of techne and its transformation into modern technology.

The increasing dependency on technology and its effects.

Questions for the Group:

How has technology altered our perception of reality and interaction with the world?

What steps can we take to moderate our use of technology in a healthy way?

Section 5: Conclusion and Discussion (10 minutes)

Summing Up: Recap the discussion and emphasize the importance of recognizing and addressing modern idolatry.

Group Discussion:

What practical steps can we take to avoid falling into the trap of modern-day idolatry?

How can we cultivate a healthier spiritual environment in our homes and communities?

Closing Remarks and Prayer (5 minutes)

Closing Prayer: Focus on seeking guidance and strength to resist modern idols and to focus on God.

Invite Feedback and Further Discussion: Encourage participants to reflect further and discuss the topic with friends and family.

In what ways does the advancement in technology fulfill Biblical prophesy? The relationship between technological advancements and Biblical prophecy is a subject of interest and debate among theologians, scholars, and believers. While the Bible does not explicitly mention modern technology, some interpret certain passages as potentially alluding to the effects or concepts that could be associated with contemporary technological developments. Here are a few ways in which some people connect technological advancements to Biblical prophecy:

1. Increase in Knowledge and Travel

Prophecy: The book of Daniel mentions, "But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge." (Daniel 12:4)

Interpretation: Some interpret this as a prediction of the modern age, where there has been an exponential increase in human knowledge and ease of travel, facilitated by advances in technology.

2. Global Communication

Prophecy: Revelation discusses the whole world witnessing certain events: "And their dead bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial." (Revelation 11:8-9)

Interpretation: This prophecy is sometimes seen as indicative of global communication technologies—such as television and the internet—that allow real-time broadcasting of events globally.

3. The Mark of the Beast

Prophecy: Revelation 13:16-17 says, "It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name."

Interpretation: Some view this as potentially foretelling a future where technology controls access to economic transactions (perhaps through biometric identifiers or microchips), which raises concerns among those wary of a centralized control system that could align with these prophecies.

4. The Image of the Beast

Prophecy: "The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed." (Revelation 13:15)

Interpretation: Advances in artificial intelligence and robotics might be seen as fulfilling this prophecy, where images or statues could seem to come alive (through AI and robotics).

5. Deception Through Technology

Prophecy: Matthew 24:24 mentions, "For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."

Interpretation: The capabilities of technology to create convincing deepfakes, augmented realities, and virtual realities could be viewed as tools that could be used for deception, aligning with warnings about deception in the end times.

6. Surveillance and Persecution

Prophecy: The idea of an all-watching entity aligns with prophetic themes about the Antichrist's regime in Revelation, which involves intense persecution and surveillance.

Interpretation: The modern surveillance state, enabled by technology, is sometimes cited as a precursor to this type of control.It's important to note that these interpretations are subject to significant debate and vary widely among different Christian denominations and individuals. Some see these connections as direct and clear, while others caution against reading contemporary events into ancient texts. The interpretation of prophecy can be highly subjective, influenced by cultural, theological, and personal perspectives.

Chapter 14

The Masters

WHEN THE PEOPLE of Israel turned from God, they turned not only to the gods, but to a specific kind of god:

They sacrificed to the Baals, and burned incense to carved images.

They turned to the Baalim. Who or what exactly were the Baalim? In order to answer that, we must first define what exactly the gods and idols were to the people of the ancient world—and what they are to us now.

The Identity of a God

With regard to the worshipper, a god or idol is that which one ultimately worships, serves, and lives for. It is that which one most focuses and dwells on, and from which one takes the greatest joy. It is that which one most reveres and is led, moved, and driven by. It is one’s ultimate reality and the purpose of one’s life.

So if one turns from God, there will always be another, a god or an idol.

The Baalim

The Hebrew word Baalim literally means the “Baals.” The Baalim was Baal in his plural form. He had appeared in a multitude of forms and variations and was embodied by a multitude of idols. So Baal was manifested through the Baals. The word Baalim can also be translated as “the lords,” “the owners,” and “the masters.” If one turns away from God, one will end up serving the Baalim, or one of the Baalim, a god or an idol that will end up becoming one’s master, one’s owner, and one’s lord.

Having turned from God, Israel became subject to the Baals, the new lords and masters. The Bible records that the Israelites served the Baalim. The Hebrew word translated as “served” also means “to labor under,” “to be kept in bondage to,” “to be enslaved by.” Their apostasy began with the promises of prosperity, fulfillment, and liberation. But it would end in bondage.

Lords of America

So too for America. The lure of the Baalim was the promise that turning away from God would bring freedom and fulfillment. But instead, it led to enslavement, to the bondage of the Baalim. And as in ancient times the Baalim appeared in a multitude of forms.

So Americans now served and were mastered by the Baals of money, pleasure, success, acceptance, sexual gratification, addictions, work, comfort, the internet, self-fulfillment, self-obsession, and countless other gods and idols—the Baals of the modern world.

Instead of freedom, Americans saw their culture becoming increasingly driven, restless, conflicted, obsessed, and addicted. And the further the nation moved from God, the more powerful the Baalim became. To America, devoid of God, the pursuit of money and success became an unbridled spirit that possessed millions. With Americans devoid of God, the pursuit of pleasure led to a multitude of addictions and self-destruction.

The Altars of Baal

The Israelites offered up sacrifices to the Baalim. So did the Americans. For the Baalim of money and success, they sacrificed much of their lives. For the Baalim of pleasure, they sacrificed their well-being, their health, their marriages, their families, and their children. The new, modern Baalim were more than ruthless masters—they were deadly.

Of Israel’s fall to idols, the prophet Isaiah wrote:

Their land is also full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands.

That was the irony of idolatry. They worshipped as gods the very thing that they themselves had created, “the work of their own hands.” They had created their own Baals.

The Mars Hill Mystery

When the apostle Paul came to Athens, a city filled with gods, altars, and idols, his spirit was, as recorded in the Book of Acts,

…provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.

When he later stood on Mars Hill before the city’s leaders, he addressed the worship of idols:

Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.

He was using the same argument presented by the prophets. They were worshipping that which they themselves had devised, what their own hands had made.

In speaking of the creation of idols, the apostle used the Greek word techne. From that same word, linked to the idols of man, we get the modern word technology. In other words, technology comes from a word used in Scripture in connection with idols.

The High-Tech Idol

America was largely responsible for ushering in the age of high technology and for creating the modern computer. The computer represented the most sophisticated and advanced work of man’s hands, the most advanced form of man’s techne. And in the age of apostasy, it has become among the most powerful of man’s idols and the most complex of the Baalim.

Under the spirit of Baal, the Israelites worshipped and served the works of their hands. Under the spirit of Baal, America did likewise. The ancient idols were deaf, blind, and mute, unable to move or act. But the high-tech idols of the modern world were more powerful; they could see, hear, and speak, and do almost anything. And each generation became more attached to them, more plugged in, and more addicted to them than the generation before. And each found it harder to break free of their spell.

The Breach of Reality

In the pagan world it was not only the god who was worshipped but the idol, the image of the god. The idol and the god were one. Image became reality; reality became image. So in the paganization of America and modern culture, the line between image and reality was likewise breached. Image became reality, and reality became image. More and more people were living more and more of their lives in a virtual world, a world of fabricated virtual reality.

The virtual became increasingly real, and the real became increasingly virtual, just as truth became increasingly virtual. American and modern culture was now saturated with a flood of images and sounds that signified nothing—a hymn to the idol.

They Will Become Like Them

The Book of Psalms reveals a profound truth concerning the dynamic between the worshipper and the idol:

Their idols…have mouths, but they do not speak; eyes they have, but they do not see.…Those who make them are like them.

In other words, the one who makes, serves, or worships an idol will end up being transformed into its image. So the new technological idols, the digital Baals, would begin altering the nature of man. Computers began taking on human functions, abilities, and similitudes. Artificial intelligence was increasingly rivaling human intelligence and taking over its functions. At the same time, man, increasingly joined to his computer, began taking on the qualities of his digital master. The more one was joined to a computer, the more one began functioning as its appendage. So computers became more human, and those joined to them became less and less so. As the ancient warning of Scripture had foretold, those who made them had now become “like them.”

The Machine Man

The line between man and machine was blurring. There was more and more talk and experimentation involving merging man and technology, whether through digital implants or other technological enhancements of human abilities. The line became even more blurred as people began having sexual and romantic relationships with robots.

But even this was part of the ancient mystery of paganism and the gods. In paganism man creates gods and worships the works of his hands; the creator worships his creation. The line between creator and creation is blurred and breached. So if technology is the creation of man, then the pagan blurring and merging of God and man will be manifested in the blurring and merging of man and his technology, creator and creation, man and machine—a hybrid of both.

American and Western civilization had now created the most powerful of idols. And the present generation, more than any other, now served its own creation, its new master, the techne of its own hands. It was the day of the new masters—the age of the technological Baalim.

An object appeared in the streets of New York City. It was shrouded in mystery, covered in a sheet. Most of the city’s inhabitants had no idea what it was. The city would unveil it.

The object was linked to an ancient god, and to the dark trinity.

Jonathan Cahn, The Return of the Gods (Lake Mary, FL: Frontline, 2022).

Exported from Logos Bible Software, 4:26 PM April 28, 2024.