Once I joined Logos simply over two years in the past, I couldn’t have predicted how rapidly AI would change into mainstream.
For twenty years, I served as a pastor. I carried out postgraduate analysis and lectured at a seminary—all whereas utilizing Logos, in fact! Now at Logos, my job is to assist work out how expertise can allow our customers to achieve deeper insights into the Bible and benefit from their time within the Phrase.
Many customers have been asking us, how ought to we consider AI expertise? Ought to it also have a place in Bible examine?
This text lays out what’s influenced our considering at Logos and the way we’re navigating this subject as an organization devoted to serving the church.
Our questions on AI aren’t new. Christians have all the time used technological advances to entry and perceive the Bible extra successfully. Christians adopted the expertise of the codex within the second century, the printing press within the fifteenth, and the non-public laptop within the late-twentieth. That historical past signifies we will assess the brand new expertise of AI in the identical manner our forebears assessed the technological breakthroughs of their day: with timeless biblical ideas.
Biblical ideas to use to AI
Many biblical ideas have formed my interested by utilizing expertise in Bible examine. However 5 are price mentioning right here.
1. We’d like true knowledge
Scripture teaches us to be clever (Prov 1:2–7), understanding that the concern of God is the start of knowledge (Ps 111:10; Prov 1:7; 9:10; 15:33). True knowledge finally comes from God (Job 12:13; Jas 1:5), and it’s totally different from the knowledge of this world (1 Cor 1:20–21; 3:19). The Holy Spirit is intently related to knowledge (Deut 34:9; Isa 11:2; Dan 5:14; Acts 6:3, 10; 1 Cor 2:4, 13; Eph 1:17), so knowledge isn’t about cleverness or intelligence. It’s about dependence on God and his Spirit.
Figuring out the suitable use of expertise in Bible examine requires divine knowledge. All Bible examine, whether or not it makes use of previous or fashionable instruments, can solely be executed nicely in dependence on God and his Spirit. This knowledge can’t not achieved by superior applied sciences, however depends upon a Bible pupil’s coronary heart and spirit. A tough-hearted pupil counting on their very own knowledge—or the “knowledge” of expertise—will all the time have much less perception than a Spirit-filled believer in search of the knowledge of God.
A tough-hearted pupil counting on their very own knowledge—or the “knowledge” of expertise—will all the time have much less perception than a Spirit-filled believer in search of the knowledge of God.
2. We’d like discernment
Christians are known as to train discernment in order that we’d know God’s will, approve what is great, and distinguish good from evil (Rom 12:2; Phil 1:9–10; Heb 5:14). This can be a accountability laid on each believer.
AI and different applied sciences deliver with them a possible for hurt: they will make us lazy or mislead us by means of factual errors or biases. Worst of all, AI applied sciences could make us depending on them as an alternative of God.
However this isn’t an issue distinctive to expertise. Humankind has lengthy been tempted to depend on the reward as an alternative of the giver. In biblical instances, individuals had been in peril of trusting in chariots and horses (Ps 20:7). In our time, maybe the hazard for some is that we belief in Google or ChatGPT. However the reply to that drawback is to not put off horses and chariots (e.g., Isa 66:20; Jer 22:4), however to belief within the identify of the Lord our God (Isa 31:1).
3. We’d like stewardship
Applicable makes use of of expertise will help us to search out, learn, and meditate on God’s Phrase (Ps 119:14–16). Know-how will help us save time and benefit from the alternatives God provides us (Eph 5:16; Col 4:5). It could assist us keep in mind issues we might in any other case overlook (Prov 4:5). If we’re to hunt perception into God’s Phrase as if looking for hidden treasure (Prov 2:1–5), we’ll naturally use each device at our disposal to the utmost of our skill.
God has made us stewards of creation (Gen 1:26–28; 2:15) in addition to the gospel (1 Cor 4:1–2; 1 Thes 2:4; 1 Tim 1:11). We shall be held accountable for the way in which we now have put God’s items to work (Matt 25:14–30; Luke 19:12–27). When a lot is given, a lot is anticipated (Luke 12:48). We stay in an period during which the humblest Christians typically have entry to higher Bible examine instruments than our forebears may ever have dreamed doable. Furthermore, these instruments assist us discover deeper insights in much less time than ever earlier than. As stewards of the items God has given us, we’re chargeable for placing these items—together with expertise—to good use for the dominion’s sake (2 Tim 2:15).
We stay in an period during which the humblest Christians typically have entry to higher Bible examine instruments than our forebears may ever have dreamed doable.
4. We’d like each other
God has saved us, not as remoted people, however to be a part of his church (Eph 2:19–22; Col 3:15). We study from each other, and we instruct each other (Rom 15:14; Col 3:16; 1 Thess 4:18; 5:11). Collectively we’re individuals of the ebook. The best reward God has given us is the reward of relationship—relationship with him and relationship together with his individuals.
For that cause, for many individuals, the one that had the best non secular affect on them was not a big-name preacher, however a dad or mum, pal, or Sunday College instructor that few have ever heard about. The additional an individual is from us relationally, the more durable it turns into for them to know us, pray for us, and join with us—and due to this fact the weaker their affect on us is prone to be.
If that’s true of big-name preachers, it’s much more true of AI instruments. As Christians, we don’t simply want info and knowledge, as helpful as these will be. We additionally want one another. We must not ever let speaking to an AI chatbot take the place of chatting to our pastor or our fellow congregants.
5. We have to be humble
Know-how will help purchase and ship data. However wrongly utilized, data can “puff up” (1 Cor 8:1), making us clever in our personal sight (Isa 5:21; Rom 11:25; 12:16). Whereas even a younger baby can perceive the simplicity of the gospel (Mark 10:14), the gospel can be a profound and delightful thriller (Eph 3:3–10; Col 1:26–2:3).
No expertise will ever take away the necessity to examine the Bible on our knees.
No expertise, nor certainly any human being, will ever totally plumb the depths of Scripture or mine its treasures. There’ll all the time be extra about which to study, admire, and marvel. No expertise will ever take away the necessity to examine the Bible on our knees.
Beliefs about expertise and AI
As we’ve thought-about these ideas right here at Logos, we’ve tried to use them particularly to AI, particularly to the advances in AI which have burst onto the scene because the launch of ChatGPT. Our discussions have led us to the next convictions:
1. We consider essentially the most fruitful Bible examine happens when Christians depend upon the Spirit of God whereas utilizing all the assistance God has given
The Bible will be totally understood with out the newest expertise. God didn’t put the Bible into chilly storage till Logos and comparable apps got here alongside. Nonetheless, I’m satisfied that God makes use of instruments equivalent to Logos to assist the church uncover deeper insights into his Phrase and stroll extra intently with him. That’s definitely been my very own expertise. In that sense, Bible examine apps and comparable applied sciences are items from God to his church for us to make use of for our good and his glory.
2. We consider that Christians ought to use expertise discerningly
One may simply apply expertise to Bible examine in lots of unfruitful, unhelpful, and counterproductive methods. Some applied sciences are higher suited to learning God’s Phrase than others. Christians should use expertise with discernment.
3. We consider AI has an vital place in Bible examine
It could be a mistake for Christians to shun expertise and switch our backs on instruments that would assist us uncover deeper insights into God’s Phrase.
AI is remodeling the world round us. It’s being utilized in an increasing number of purposes—some to our detriment, however many for our good. We don’t consider AI is only a fad or pattern. We consider AI shall be as vital in private devotions, preaching, and educational biblical research as the non-public laptop, the web, or the smartphone have been.
At Logos, we wish to be on the forefront of utilizing this growing expertise for the great of the church.
4. We consider AI has human qualities, not divine ones
Arthur C. Clarke famously mentioned, “Any sufficiently superior expertise is indistinguishable from magic.” That’s true of AI, which might typically make AI really feel nearly God-like. However AI doesn’t have divine qualities. It isn’t omniscient or infallible.
AI, and particularly the big language fashions that energy instruments equivalent to ChatGPT, are usually educated on billions of paperwork written by human beings. That’s how AI can mimic human responses. Nonetheless, that coaching additionally means AI mirrors and even amplifies the weaknesses present in all human authors. Like us, AI has limitations, fallibilities, and biases.
AI is neither fallen nor made within the picture of God, however it might seem to be it’s since it’s educated on content material produced by fallen image-bearers. Because of this, we should always take a look at AI-generated content material with no less than the identical care and diligence we might for any unknown human writer.
5. We consider AI finest serves Bible examine when it illuminates, not replaces, content material written by actual individuals
God made us to be considerate, inventive, and in a position to join with him and others by means of spoken and written phrases. AI can imitate human thoughtfulness, creativity, and connection, however it’s going to solely ever be a pale reflection of the true factor.
Because of this, AI serves us finest in Bible examine when it helps to search out, arrange, and perceive what God has revealed and what his individuals have written and studied. The worth of AI for Bible examine doesn’t come when AI stands alone, however when the expertise illuminates the highest-quality biblical texts, datasets, and books.
Associated Article: A Theology of AI by a Bible Software program Nerd by Mark Ward
AI in follow
These, then, are the foundations. However how have we tried to place these ideas into follow?
Over the past a number of months, we’ve been constructing some AI-powered options into Logos, and a few customers are already benefiting from them by means of our early entry program earlier than they’re launched extra broadly within the fall.
We’re nonetheless studying how finest to use AI and comparable applied sciences to Bible examine. However these are a few of the issues we’ve executed up to now.
1. We’re prioritizing instruments that assist customers discover and perceive nice content material
We don’t use AI as a method to cheaply generate low-value content material. We primarily use AI to search out, arrange, and illuminate the highest-quality printed and proprietary books and biblical datasets.
Two examples of such a use are our Good Search and Summarize instruments.
- Good Search makes use of AI to determine essentially the most related articles that match the person’s entry, bypassing the necessity to use complicated syntax to run a search.
- Summarize condenses lengthy articles to just some hundred phrases to assist customers perceive a posh concern or to assist them assess whether or not an extended article is price studying in full.
2. We’re growing instruments to assist customers once they have inventive blocks
AI can typically be helpful at serving to us generate concepts.
Our Sermon Assistant is an efficient instance of this. There, we use AI to supply concepts to pastors for software, illustrations, and descriptions. These concepts will not be designed to be copied right into a sermon verbatim, however to supply inspiration to assist pastors by means of inventive blocks.
3. We’re clear and open about our use of AI
That’s partly what this text is for. If Christians are to make use of expertise appropriately, they should perceive what expertise they’re utilizing.
We by no means use AI within the app with out telling the person we’re doing so. This permits Christians to decide on whether or not and how one can use these instruments for themselves. AI-generated content material is all the time clearly indicated, so no pupil or pastor can unknowingly use AI-generated content material of their papers or sermons.
4. We take privateness and safety critically
A few of our instruments permit customers to ship personal paperwork or copyrighted content material to AI companies. We solely ship the precise content material the person requests. We by no means use this knowledge to coach AI, nor will we permit any of our expertise companions to take action. We require our expertise companions to make use of this knowledge just for the needs of our device and to not retain it longer than is required for that goal.
5. We use the suitable instruments for the suitable job
Though ChatGPT is essentially the most well-known massive language mannequin (LLM), there are different varieties of AI and different LLMs. Our AI companies are designed so we will rapidly change to essentially the most acceptable AI mannequin for any given job if we spot biases, or as different extra appropriate fashions are developed. Along with the built-in AI framework behind Good Search, on the time of writing, we’re utilizing three totally different massive language fashions and are testing and prototyping a number of extra.
6. We attempt to assist our customers use AI responsibly
As AI is an rising expertise, we wish to assist our customers make the most effective of it. Moderately than merely embedding a chatbot throughout the app, we’re rigorously designing a variety of particular instruments that may assist the person accomplish a particular job and, the place wanted, present recommendation on how one can use that device consistent with the ideas we’ve mentioned.
Conclusion
If one verse within the Bible sums up our considering on the suitable use of AI in Bible examine, it’s 1 Thessalonians 5:21 (ESV), “Check the whole lot; maintain quick what is nice.” It’s straightforward for Christians to make one in every of two errors. One mistake is to fail to check the whole lot and go wherever the winds of expertise are blowing. That might result in every kind of errors as a result of, whereas AI presents a fantastic alternative, it’s not with out its personal risks. However we must also keep away from the opposite mistake, which is to check the whole lot however then fail to carry quick to what’s good. That might result in misplaced alternatives to find deeper insights in much less time.
Studying how one can benefit from AI in Bible examine is one thing we and our clients will study collectively. Over time, we hope we’ll be capable to ship additional enhancements in pace, accuracy, flexibility, and integration with current instruments and workflows—however in a manner that preserves what our customers love concerning the software program.
Some Bible examine or preaching apps have made chatting with AI the centerpiece of their providing; others have ignored AI altogether. At Logos, we plan to proceed integrating the most effective that AI can provide into bespoke instruments that can assist you get essentially the most out of our high-quality books, knowledge, and conventional instruments—serving to you discover deeper insights in much less time and get much more out of your examine of the Bible.
