WeeklyTech #174

Why We (Still) Need a Statement of Principles for AI

In April 2019, a group of over 70 evangelical leaders signed and launched Artificial Intelligence: An Evangelical Statement of Principles (Spanish version) with two goals in mind. First, we wanted to help the Church proactively think about the myriad of ways that AI is shaping our society and provide a sound theological, philosophical, and ethical framework with which to wisely navigate these tools. Second, we sought to present a distinctly Christian view on the fundamental questions being raised amid the social and political ramifications of the expanding development and application of AI. 

One of the fascinating aspects of the current cultural conversation on AI is how quickly people have become entranced by these technologies, especially after the launch of ChatGPT and other generative AI tools. While many are excited about the advances these tools may bring, many are incredibly disturbed by their dangers and risks. Debates over the future of AI have centered on the reality that these tools are doing things once reserved solely for human beings, leading many to ask the age-old question: What does it mean to be human? 

The Rundown

How AI is already changing the 2024 election by Sophia Cal | Axios

There are no rules for using AI in politics. Operatives in both parties are tapping the technology to identify donors and voters more efficiently — and to create photos and videos that reveal the potential risks of “deepfake” messages that could fool voters.

The Rights and Responsibilities of AI, Seen Through the Autonomy-Automaton Lens by Michael Rosen | AEI

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology continues to advance, one question seems to recur: do machines enjoy legal rights and responsibilities? If so, how closely do those rights and responsibilities resemble the human varieties? The autonomy-automaton distinction we’ve previously articulated can help us better understand—if not necessarily resolve—these thorny questions.

Find Your People . . . Offline by Brett McCracken | The Gospel Coalition

Now, with the aid of tailored-to-you algorithms, search engines, and niche subreddits of every sort, it’s easier than ever to “find your people”—whatever you want “your people” to be.

OpenAI adds a more private option to ChatGPT by Ina Fried | Axios

Privacy is a key concern with AI, and one big early worry in the generative AI boom has been that data users give to AI engines can then be used to train those same engines, potentially exposing sensitive information.

Is It Possible to Be a Baptist Christian Nationalist? by Matthew R. Emmerson | 9Marks

Yet is Christian Nationalism compatible with historic Baptist distinctives—with credobaptist, congregational convictions? It is the contention of this essay that it is not, and especially due to the difference in how Christian Nationalism and congregational credobaptists view the relation between the covenants.