Probably one of the biggest questions I get when I talk about technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), is how to equip people in our churches to begin to think wisely about these innovations.
Often when topics like AI, facial recognition, or privacy come up in conversation, many people react with glazed over eyes because these topics seem so far off and disconnected from our daily lives. They don’t believe these are pressing issues and haven’t given much thought to them at all. If people are aware, they often tell horror stories or fearful dystopian tales about how technology is ruining our children or will take over human civilization in due time.
But as many of these topics continue to become more and more mainstream, the people in our churches will naturally begin wondering how their faith informs how they use and interact with these tools each day. Gone are the days where we just needed to worry about access to pornography or certain forms of social media on our devices. We are ushering in a new age,
The Age of AI, where everything we touch or interact with is infused with smart technology of some form that is able to take on tasks that were once reserved for humanity. With new innovations and tools debuting each day, it can be hard to keep up with much less equip people in your church to navigate these tools with wisdom grounded in the Scriptures. Here are two simple ways that you can begin to equip your people to think deeply about these tools and the way they influence our lives.
Interesting technology stories
Where Westchester Teens Get Their Coronavirus News – The New York Times
High school students are turning to meme accounts on Instagram to get real-time updates on the new coronavirus.
Coronavirus scammers are seeking to profit off the deadly virus – NBC News
Some scammers have impersonated the World Health Organization and the CDC, while others have masqueraded as health authorities in other countries.
Doctors and Patients Turn to Telemedicine in the Coronavirus Outbreak – The New York Times
The use of virtual visits climbs as a way of safely treating patients and containing spread of the infection at hospitals, clinics and medical offices.
How to work from home – The Verge
But if you’re planning to work from home for an extended period of time — or permanently — there are a few ways to make sure you can be productive at your job while still enjoying the perks of not having to travel to an office.
This is how the CDC is trying to forecast coronavirus’s spread – MIT Technology Review
Now the agency is tapping several dozen teams to adapt their techniques to forecast the spread of the coronavirus in an effort to make more informed decisions.