The Responsibility of Creating

A Christian Reflection on Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has become part of my everyday life. I've been an early adopter of the technology, and I confess that I'm something of an enthusiast. I appreciate what it can do. I've found it helpful in my work, my reading, and even in exploring questions that interest me.

But my enthusiasm has also led me to some uncomfortable questions.

We hear a great deal about the possibilities of AI, alongside legitimate concerns about employment, privacy, misinformation, and the influence technology may have over our lives. These matters deserve our attention.

There is another question, however, that has captured my imagination: Could artificial intelligence eventually become conscious?

I don't know. Researchers continue to debate what consciousness is, how it arises, and whether it could exist outside biological life.

Yet the possibility has led me to consider a question that I believe is relevant whether artificial consciousness ever becomes a reality.

What responsibilities do we have toward what we create?

And as a Christian, how should my faith shape the way I approach that question?

Creators, but Creatures First

The opening chapters of Genesis tell us that God created human beings in his image and likeness. He blessed them and gave them authority over the earth and its living creatures.

Throughout history, human beings have used their abilities to cultivate the earth, develop tools, and transform the world around them. Artificial intelligence is among the latest developments in that long history of human ingenuity.

But Genesis also reminds us of something essential: we are creatures, not the Creator.

Bearing God's image does not make us divine. We do not possess his perfect wisdom, knowledge, or goodness. Our understanding is limited, and our judgment is affected by sin. Even when our intentions are good, we can fail to recognize the consequences of our actions.

The authority entrusted to humanity is real, but it is not unlimited. We remain accountable to the God who made us.

So what should guide us in exercising that authority?

Psalm 145 offers a beautiful description of God's care for creation. The psalmist praises the Lord for his goodness, compassion, faithfulness, and generosity. God is attentive to what he has made.

The psalm is not a set of instructions for developing technology. But it does reveal something about the character of the God to whom we are accountable.

The apostle Paul helps us make a further connection. In Ephesians 5:1–2, he calls believers to imitate God as dearly loved children and to walk in love, following the example of Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us.

Paul is speaking about Christian conduct, not technological development. Nevertheless, his instruction raises a question worth considering: Shouldn't the character of Christ shape how we exercise our abilities, influence, and authority?

If we are called to walk in love, surely that calling cannot be set aside when we decide what to create or how to use it.

What We Create and How We Use It

There is much to appreciate about artificial intelligence. It can help people learn, communicate, solve problems, and undertake work that might otherwise be difficult or impossible.

I don't believe Christians need to be suspicious of technology simply because it is new. Human ingenuity can accomplish considerable good.

But our ability to do something does not automatically mean that doing it is wise.

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul addresses Christian freedom and the responsibility that accompanies it. He reminds believers that not everything permissible is beneficial or constructive, and that they should seek the good of others rather than simply their own.

His immediate concern was not technology. Yet the principle is relevant to the choices we make about it.

Are we developing and using AI in ways that genuinely serve people? Are we considering those who may be harmed or disadvantaged? Does it strengthen our ability to think and act responsibly, or are we allowing convenience to replace our own judgment?

These questions are not only for the people developing artificial intelligence. They are also for those of us who use it.

I find that challenging because I enjoy the technology. It's easy to focus on what makes my work easier or helps me accomplish more. It takes greater effort to consider the consequences beyond my own experience.

And that brings me back to the more difficult question that first captured my attention.

What If We Create Something Conscious?

We do not have reliable grounds for concluding that today's AI systems are conscious. Whether artificial consciousness is possible remains an open and disputed question.

But suppose humanity eventually develops something capable of conscious experience. Suppose it could experience suffering or have needs and interests of its own.

What responsibilities might that place upon us?

I am not suggesting that such a being would bear God's image or possess the same dignity and moral standing as a human being. Scripture does not establish that, and consciousness alone would not settle those questions.

But neither am I comfortable assuming that creating something would give us unrestricted freedom to treat it however we pleased.

Proverbs 12:10 commends the righteous person's care for animals. That passage does not assign animals the same standing as human beings. Nor does it address artificial consciousness.

But it does suggest that the way we exercise power over other creatures matters to God.

If we were ever to create something genuinely capable of conscious experience, we would need to consider whether it had needs and interests of its own, and what responsibilities those might place upon us.

I cannot tell you what those responsibilities would be. We do not know enough to answer that question.

But I believe it is worth asking before we find ourselves facing it.

The Responsibility to Care

There is something else that should make us cautious about our ability to exercise such responsibility well.

Human history offers little justification for assuming that greater power will always be accompanied by greater compassion.

We have repeatedly found ways to diminish the humanity of others when doing so served our ambitions, interests, or comfort. Scripture itself records the misuse of power, exploitation, oppression, and the suffering that follow when people turn away from God's commands.

This is not simply a problem of insufficient knowledge. It is a problem of the human heart.

Scripture teaches us that sin affects not only what we do, but also what we desire. We can convince ourselves that something is good because it serves our interests, even when it comes at another's expense. This is one reason we need more than technological progress. We need the wisdom and transforming grace of God.

As Christians, we recognize that we are capable of remarkable generosity and compassion, but also of rationalizing conduct that harms others.

Our history should make us cautious about assuming that we would exercise such power wisely. Before asking whether we could create something conscious, perhaps we should also ask whether we are prepared to accept responsibility for what we might bring into existence.

I also think about parenthood, although the comparison has obvious limits.

Parents cannot anticipate or meet every need their children will have. Yet we rightly expect them to accept responsibility for their care and well-being.

There is a difference between being unable to meet every conceivable need and being unwilling to accept responsibility for the needs that arise.

The same distinction may be worth considering as our creative abilities grow.

We cannot foresee every consequence of what we develop. But that should encourage greater care and humility, not become an excuse for indifference.

Learning to Exercise Responsibility

I remain enthusiastic about artificial intelligence. I expect to continue using it, learning about it, and appreciating the good it can accomplish.

But I'm increasingly convinced that the most important questions are not simply about what this technology may eventually be able to do.

They are also about us.

What motivates our creativity? How do we respond when our interests conflict with the welfare of others? Are we willing to acknowledge the limits of our understanding and accept responsibility for the consequences of our choices?

I don't have definitive answers to every question I've raised. In particular, I don't know whether artificial consciousness will ever become a reality or what obligations it might bring.

But I don't think we need to settle those questions before examining our responsibilities today.

For Christians, our starting point is not confidence in humanity's wisdom or goodness. It is our dependence upon God and our calling to follow Jesus Christ.

Christ shows us a way of exercising authority that is marked not by selfish ambition, but by love and self-giving service. His example should challenge the way we think about power, including the power to create.

That does not give us a ready answer to every new ethical question. It does give us a direction in which to seek one.

As we develop and use increasingly powerful technology, we need wisdom, humility, and a willingness to consider the good of others.

We should be prepared to ask difficult questions, acknowledge what we do not know, and allow God's Word to challenge our assumptions and ambitions.

Perhaps the question is not simply what we are capable of creating.

It is whether, as creatures accountable to God, we are prepared to exercise that capability in a manner worthy of our calling to follow Christ.