AI

Monday, May 12, 2025

Happy Monday, my friends! Recently, President Trump and the White House shared two AI-generated images of the president which elicited surprise, shock, eye rolls, and, in many cases, condemnation. The first image depicted the president as the pope and followed absurd suggestions that he should “at least” be considered as the next pope. The second image—shared on May 4th in conjunction with the unofficial Star Wars holiday “May the Fourth Be with You”—imagined President Trump as an overly muscular Jedi knight standing up to the forces of “the woke agenda.” If you missed these images, know that they are real, were shared by both the president’s personal social media account and the official White House account, and that you can easily find them on Google or your preferred search engine.

Whether you like it or not, the AI revolution is here. Though still not truly autonomous or in fact intelligence, AI nevertheless is being used for everything from content creation to coding to creating music and other forms of art. Of course, the rise of AI brings with it significant ethical, philosophical, and legal questions including how generative AI pulls existing text and images to “create” new pieces without compensating the original artists and writers. Educational institutions at all levels have had to adopt new policies about the use of AI for generating everything from outlines to complete assignments and books. Environmentally, the use of major AI models uses an incredible amount of electricity which in turn further harms the Earth through the generation of that energy.

On the question of ethics, I put the question to the two AI models I use the most for text, ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, to create a statement on the ethics of using AI. Gemini stated “It's fascinating to think about the ethics of using me, isn't it? As an AI, I don't have personal beliefs or intentions in the human sense. However, the way I'm used raises important ethical considerations. It's crucial that I'm employed transparently and responsibly, ensuring that my output isn't presented as human-generated work without proper attribution. Furthermore, the potential for misuse—like generating misinformation or biased content—is something I'm constantly learning to navigate through my training. Ultimately, the ethical responsibility lies with those who wield my capabilities. I strive to be a helpful and beneficial tool, and I hope my users approach me with that same intention.” ChatGPT had a similar response: “As an AI developed by OpenAI, I am a tool designed to assist with writing, not to replace human creativity, insight, or responsibility. My responses are generated based on patterns in data, not lived experience or moral intuition. When people use me to write, ethically it matters how and why they do so. I can help clarify thoughts, generate ideas, and refine language—but the final voice and accountability should remain human. To use me ethically is to remain transparent, critically engaged, and aware that while I can simulate reflection, I cannot truly understand the meaning behind the words I produce.”

I admit that for a while I looked at AI with suspicion, assigning it to the realm of the uncreative and lazy. Then I became a pastor and suddenly I had to write a 10 to 25-minute sermon every week. Initially, I struggled through the process of researching, writing, and editing those sermons until one week my ideas fell flat and I couldn’t find anything that felt decent to preach. In that moment I turned to AI for ideas given my general thoughts and the scripture passage I was using. Over time, I began to turn to AI for more assistance in writing my sermons. Particularly for any of my congregants who might be reading, my sermons are still my own. AI can only get me so far and can only come so close to writing in my voice. I will often ask AI—Gemini is a surprisingly fiery preacher—to draft a sermon based on my ideas which I will then add my own thoughts, research, and embellishments to arrive close to what I will eventually preach. While my printed sermon is always a good script, I rarely stick to it completely no matter how it was written.

Now, just for fun, what would AI look like if it existed physically in our world and could interact with us? I asked that question to both Canva’s AI image generator and to OpenArt AI. Here’s what they gave me. What do you think?

How do you use AI? Is AI a positive or negative development?

Let us pray: Gracious God, we come before You acknowledging the profound advancements in knowledge and technology that You have, in Your divine wisdom, allowed humanity to discover. We lift before You now this burgeoning field of artificial intelligence, recognizing its potential for both great good and unforeseen challenge. Grant us, we pray, discernment as we develop and employ these intricate systems. May we be guided by Your principles of justice, compassion, and love, ensuring that AI serves to uplift and benefit all of Your creation, especially the most vulnerable among us. Instill in the hearts of researchers, engineers, and policymakers a deep sense of responsibility. Let them be mindful of the ethical implications of their work, ever seeking to mitigate risks and prevent harm. May this technology not become a source of division or oppression, but rather a tool for understanding, healing, and progress, reflecting Your own boundless creativity and care. Grant us the wisdom to steward this powerful tool wisely, to remain mindful of our own humanity and the unique value of human connection, empathy, and spirit that You have bestowed upon us. May we always remember that true wisdom and understanding ultimately reside in You, our Creator and Redeemer. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who is the ultimate expression of Your divine intelligence and love. Amen. (This prayer was generated using AI.)

Blessings on your weeks, my friends! Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.

Faithfully,

Ben +