To begin with, there’s a broad definition of philosophy, mainly along the lines of “love for wisdom.” Being so, philosophy deals with thinking and eventually effecting change. Life is a journey with three phases: the past, present, and future, which all link between one’s birth and one’s death and what man does in that time given.
The quest for “Deep Thinking” and the need to see things change fast have led to the birth of an apocalypse and the rise of Artificial Intelligence, which has only just begun. But we can see traces of its work.
The question lurking through the minds of the nobles – the rich and the common man – remains: What would be left of mankind as a being when Artificial Intelligence fully comes into place?
What would become of the jobs of men? How would men fare with this end-time reality?
The word, end-time has been perfectly chosen in this essay to justify the prophetic occurrences we are to see in the future, before the coming of Jesus Christ.
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Past dispensations have approached work through different means. Before the Artificial Intelligence era, the nature of work was vastly different. It comprised a simple life, or in a more educational context, an Agrarian society.
Everyone lived together in a community, each complementing and learning from the communal lifestyle of the other. When the need arose, people worked together to tilt the ground in search of food and were successful. Things went well with the average family, as family life was the emphasis of those eras.
However, the quest for “wisdom” led to the Industrial Revolution, as according to life cycles; previous times became outdated and needed to be regenerated. The Industrial Revolution spanned from the 18th – 19th century.
The Industrial Revolution, and succeeding technological advancements transformed human existence. Life became easy. Much easier than how it was in previous times when people worked hard. This was the beginning of smart work!
Yet, this progress also alienated humans from nature. Humans no longer wanted to stay outside during the evenings to enjoy the breeze and stare at the beautiful skies, or the sound of birds in the early mornings, but would rather be on their phones or one of the newly created technologies.
It also fostered individualism over community. Family bonds began to wither. Fathers became strangers to their wives, and the wives in turn became strangers to their children. Strangers began to watch themselves living together!
What a cold trade. One that humans traded; a good life for a shared life.
This fascinating anticipation of what this newly found “friend” had to offer also led to humans depending on machines. People no longer wanted to work. Simple house chores at home needed to be done by machines. Teenagers could not live without their mobile phones as they became overly addicted to them.
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All these slowly crept into the curriculum of the human lifestyle. Unknowingly to him, he failed to ask relevant questions that would soon become the deciding factor of how humans would live in the future.
Will Artificial Intelligence surpass human control, rendering us obsolete? Can AI align with human values, or will it forge its path? Does AI threaten the essence of humanity?
Also Read: CHRIST’S TRANSCENDENCE VS AI-DRIVEN TRANSHUMANISM: A BATTLE FOR HUMAN IDENTITY & DESTINY
Although not fully, these questions have led us to the path of answering them ourselves. From a simple Agrarian family life to a much more complicated and isolated individual life, humans must now learn how to adapt to an AI-interwoven world. A world formerly projected as sci-fi movies – figments of the human imagination.
The Pre-Industrial era reminded us that human existence is rooted in community cooperation, connection to nature and meaningful labour.
Fast forward to today, we face a new challenge: Artificial Intelligence. The term ‘challenge’ may not resonate so well with most people, as some may perceive that to mean AI has come to solve some basic human problems.
But little do they know that AI is not just going to solve their problems, it is here for much more! It is here to take over the natural order of human lives – at least, most of it.
Artificial Intelligence threatens to surpass human control, even to the detriment of our existence.
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To avoid having an unworthy bias about AI, a good question that must be asked should be: Would AI replace human workers?
If yes, then how will humans work during this period? What means of survival are we left with? This question has not been answered yet, which means humans would have to start planning for survival when this AI revolution hits full stride!
The different sectors of life would need to prepare for this wave of apocalyptic technology as it draws closer.
How would businessmen transact? How would a Christian preach the gospel to a robot who knows every scripture he is about to utter? How does a Christian feel relevant when he feels less convicted about the God he serves?
When one desires a purpose, or in this scenario, has a certain philosophy guiding their affairs and events, then one has acknowledged that there is a void that needs to be filled. What fills the void is really what determines the outcome of the scenario.
As a Christian man, he has sought to fill the void in his soul since the inception of time. He has tried several ways to cover this void. Hence the quest to seek a partner to soothe his desires, or if not, a car, a mansion – something to feel luxurious about. Something to make him fulfilled.
The Christian would need to evangelize differently. A pastor would need to preach his sermon differently. A Christian would need to know God for himself to stay convicted about his faith. As AI looms large, we must reevaluate human purpose.
AI is a double-edged sword that has its benefits and drawbacks.
On the one hand, AI enhances productivity, efficiency, and customer service in businesses – driving growth and competitiveness.
In healthcare, AI improves diagnosis accuracy and enables personalised treatment. Technologically, AI automates routine tasks, analyses complex data and strengthens cybersecurity. Educationally, AI provides personalised learning experiences, intelligent tutoring systems, and automated grading.
However, AI’s negative impact cannot be overlooked. Ethical concerns include job displacement, bias, privacy invasion, and autonomous decision-making. Socially, AI contributes to social isolation, decreased human interaction, and loss of traditional skills. Philosophically, AI’s existential risk to humanity, potential to surpass human intelligence, and moral accountability sparks intense debate.
What is the human purpose? Is our existence to be defined by our productivity and efficiency? Or is it grounded in relationships [between God and man; man and man], creativity, or experiences?
The intersection of technology and human existence demands a philosophical overview and reflections.
I conclude with certain questions.
Can we reconcile our relationship between AI and technology?
Will AI augment or diminish human existence?
What values would guide our future when AI fully takes over?
I urge everyone – business owners, Christians, and CEOs to pause. Evaluate. Learn about the next wave of technology, then unlearn and relearn. Because we are at the threshold of a different dispensation. Much different than any we have ever known.
This is not the beginning. This is not the end either. But this is, perhaps, the beginning of the end.
The Bible plays a further role and does justice in times like this. Do yourself a favour; Get a Bible and read about the end-time prophecies.
Ultimately, my philosophy is that things should be easy but humans have made it hard for themselves and others. The love for wisdom has led us to this crossroads. Will we choose a path where AI dominates, or will we redefine our purpose and values?
Either way, technology grows each day. But as technology evolves, humans should also grow. The mandate to Adam & Eve commanded by God from the beginning still stands:
And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Genesis 1:28 KJV.
Wow!! This article sparks me. The mandate of our first parent still stands in Genesis 1:28. This was a bombshell for me. There’s a vast highland of God’s deposit in us and a point must come where AI should still be under our control because humans created it.
This is not the beginning. This is not the end either. But this is, perhaps, the beginning of the end 🔥.