BeNotAfraid

• Added Saturday 15 November 2025

What Can a Machine Know of a Soul?

The rise of artificial intelligence sparks dread that machines might someday outthink us. Yet these systems are trained on a tiny fraction of our collective words and still fall short of lived experience. If our cast-off text can produce a quirky kind of intelligence, how much more astonishing are the people who generated it? We are not accidents of data; we are image-bearers whose worth rests in God's love.

Fear creeps in when we grant technology a reverence it does not deserve. Dire predictions tempt us to treat a tool as an idol, but reverence belongs to the Creator alone.

You shall have no other gods before Me. — Exodus 20:3

A machine cannot love you, redeem you, or define your worth. It is a human invention, not a deity.

Consider the staggering complexity of your own body. Your brain processes millions of signals per second while your senses coordinate effortlessly on a few hundred calories and a steady breath. Even the largest data centers, gulping megawatts of power, struggle to mimic the integration you achieve unconsciously. Evolution itself, viewed through the lens of computation, dwarfs the training cycles of any model. Countless generations have been refined through providence into the single, living person reading this sentence.

Yes, AI can mimic speech, but it cannot feel a child's embrace, know the ache of loss, or choose to forgive. Datasets cannot replicate conscience, the quiet revolts of the heart, or stubborn hope. Your understanding is shaped by memories and soul-deep truths no algorithm can touch.

So meet this technological age with calm assurance, not panic. Let the machine point to the creativity God entrusted to humanity. C. S. Lewis reminded us that we are not mere mortals but everlasting creatures destined for eternity. Fear not the rise of machines. Lift your gaze higher, for while technology will pass away, you remain held—eternally loved by the One who made the stars.