Reflections: Don’t be an AI fail

These days, one probably has to be living under a rock to avoid at least some interaction with artificial intelligence. Whether it’s Alexa playing your favorite music before you ask, your phone recalling that you go to church on Wednesday evenings after work and putting it in your maps function, surgeries done with robot assistance, quick fact-finding for a report, or the dreaded robocall; most of us are impacted by AI. 

AI can be a timesaver to quickly summarize factual information or show you how your kitchen would look if you painted your cabinets. Some people warn of a “point of singularity” at which AI is actually instructing humans about what to do, but at this point, it has to be programmed by someone regarding sources to pull from for decisions, and it also learns from the user’s previous search habits. 

In my limited experience, I’ve seen a few AI “fails,” when technology misunderstands a spoken word or makes an incorrect assumption. When a friend posted “Rest easy, Hero” on Facebook regarding a fallen police officer, Meta offered suggestions about how to get more sleep! Recently, reading the transcript of a Bible teaching session I was not able to make it to in person, I was quite puzzled until I realized the technology had substituted “I like” for “unlike” several times—completely changing the meaning. This week, Google popped up a statement in a workspace program I needed to access, telling me in large letters, “You’ve encountered an error. That’s all we know.”  

Driving to a wedding shower in rural Arkansas last spring, I knew the general area but had not been to the specific church hosting the event, so I asked Maps, hoping my cell service would last. As I cruised along in what felt like the middle of nowhere, suddenly the voice said, “Park your vehicle. You will have to walk to your destination.” 

Huh? Looking around, I saw a gate leading into a pasture of livestock! Calling my cousin, I learned that just a bit further around a slight curve was the real dirt road leading to the church, which was across the field and hidden behind some trees. Siri had bailed on me a quarter-mile too soon. 

Incidents like these are inconvenient, but they do make me think: If I fail to listen carefully, or fail to read carefully, am I doing any better than AI? Am I just responding to programming, good or bad, or am I truly listening and responding as the Holy Spirit guides? 

I’m reminded of Jesus’ phrase, “He who has ears to hear,” following the parable of the sower in Mark 4, the parable of the weeds in Matthew 13 and the letters to the churches in Revelation. Several Old Testament prophets also used similar wording. Since ears are a common physical feature, the Lord is clearly referring to something deeper: Careful attention and the willingness to heed and obey what is heard. 

That leads me to wonder, “How can I put on my listening ears? Am I programming things into my mind through what I read, watch and listen to, that help me properly process what I read in the Bible, or do they distract? Do I interact with people around me as Jesus would, to show compassion or present truth? Am I using the right framework for responding to current events? 

AI fails can be amusing, annoying, or even potentially life-threatening, but they can be a good reminder to select my input carefully and pay close attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit!