AI vs Holy Spirit: a matter of agency

 

A hot topic today is AI and in particular Agentic AI. People I speak to are invariably using AI for a variety of tasks but have not advanced to asking it to take action on their behalf. This is what agentic AI is. AI as an agent not only sorts through volumes of data to summarize points more quickly and effectively than individuals can do themselves, it goes one step further and makes a decision, taking an action on your behalf. In essence Agentic AI not only replaces your task effort but becomes your will, 

Will is agency.

While humans are quick to point out their "free will," one's ability to choose without constraint, they are at risk of easily relegating their will to some impersonal technological agent called AI and do so without oversight or constraint. This may be from "laziness" but more likely involves a comfort level of trust by verifying AI's work across time.

Let's switch now to mankind's spiritual walk. Since its natural for humans to trust only what they can verify, trusting what they can't see, this is what faith is, becomes less likely or practical. The Christian life is one lived where Christ becomes one's agent, thru faith in what the Holy Spirit may reveal to them. In this case, the Christian's will is constrained and not free (Martin Luther's argument}.

Ironically, humans are more likely to turn agency over to AI than to the Holy Spirit, God's revelation to them. Humans see their life walk as one of free will, total self-agency. However, identifying with the world many have found a more effective agent for self  (people do this in many ways but Agentic AI is an emerging option). Submitting one's identity to Christ, which requires them to surrender agency, os not so attractive. 

In other words I find it interesting that humans are more ready to trust AI than God's revelation for their life. I guess this is the flaw all people are born with and many never think about it.

A good topic to ponder throughout history, but especially salient now,