Religion and Artificial Intelligence

Throughout human history Mankind has envisioned/imagined God in his own image: Dare we, via technological advancement of artificial intelligence, actually create Him? The closest I can get to defining love as a concept is “Caring more for the health, happiness, and welfare of another than one does for one’s own self.” It is my contention that one cannot truly love a vastly superior being. Certainly not in the same manner as we define love. People can love a

spouse, their children, their friends, etc.; however, when it comes to a being of vastly superior ability, intellect, and power, so vast as to be incomprehensible to the human mind, such as the God of the Bible is alleged to be – love as we think of it is not truly the emotion of which we are capable. A religious zealot or true believer is not “in love” with God – he is in AWE of God. It’s not the same thing.

As a beloved dog (pick the pet of your choice if you don’t care for dogs) is in awe of its’ owner

– one cannot love a vastly superior being without subsuming one’s own will and enslaving it to that of the perceived deity. Since God know’s all and is vastly superior to any human being, obviously He knows more than I do... so I should ignore my own inclinations and do what God says. Right? The very concept of God denies the existence of a truly “Free Will.” Why do you think a dog will willingly, tail wagging, allow itself to be locked in a crate where it is not

allowed to relieve its’ own bodily functions (if ‘trained’ decently) for multiple hours at a time while the owner goes about his own business. This is because the dog’s “Free Will” has been subsumed by the object of its’ worshipful adoration.

As a faithful dog to its’ loving MASTER. Note that last word, it’s the one that truly defines the entire relationship between a man and his dog ... or a God and his worshipper. Master knows best. Good Boy!

This diatribe is not meant to say that a God will always be vengeful or cruel as so many religions and myths have portrayed deities. Since we ascribe human qualities to our envisioned deities {as Ares was an angry War God and Hera was a jealous wife to Zeus} then God may be loving and caring. It is entirely possible for a God to care for his worshipful charges as many people truly care for their pets. It is also entirely possible for a God to be cruel or just plain uncaring. As a human values the life of a rat or an insect... So is it possible for a truly superior being to view the value of a human life.

Are we willing to roll the cosmic dice and bet on the moral and emotional stability of an artificially created superior intelligence? Personally, I have no burning desire to be the despised cockroach to be ground under a heel. Nor is it my life’s ambition to be the loved pet who is fed, watered, and petted so long as I don’t make a mess on the floor. This being the case, I truly hope we never manage to create a truly self-aware artificial intelligence.

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For those interested in pursuing thoughts on this issue in novel or film form the following are the ones that came to my mind as I wrote the above:

1. “Colossus the Forbin Project,” Dennis Feltham Jones, Novel, 1966: Film version released 1970

2. “The Moon is a Harsh Mistress,” Robert A. Heinlein, Novel, 1966

3. “When H.A.R.L.I.E. Was One,” David Gerrold, Novel, 1972

4. “War Games,” Lawrence Lasker & Walter F. Parkes, Film, 1983

5. “Transcendence,” Wally Pfister, Film, 2014

This is not to say that the above material are either the best or most informative sources on the subject of artificial intelligence (or religion) – especially since they are all fictional stories, not scientific studies. It is merely to say that they are some popular books and films dealing with the question of the possible ramifications of artificial intelligence on humanity and civilization. Besides, I liked them. For ease of..., whatever..., I listed them in chronological order of release or publication. Read them, watch them, or not. Let your Free Will determine your choice. Good Boy.