Even as a youth, I had two differing interests. One was science/technology and the other philosophy/spirituality. I typically confine my science/tech thoughts to my other blog—The Manufacturing Connection. Faith Venture explores thoughts on spiritual development (occasionally pointing to foibles of modern living).
Sometimes the two streams come into a confluence.
Like worries about AI and creativity and spirituality.
The current month’s theme of MIT Technology Review proclaims “Muse or Machine: Defining Creativity in the Age of AI.” The lead article—Is “creativity” meaningless?
Have you read so much idle speculation about AI that you are worried? Feel the anxiety that the writers wish to provoke?
I cannot do that level of linear algebra nor program in Python. But I’ve read several academic works sent to me. I have at least a moderate level of intelligence (not artificial).
Think on this thought from Seth Godin then consider your own experience: Art is what happens when a human does something original and generous that might not work. It has little to do with paint.
I make some use of AI in my research. I’ve read many (most?) of the sermons of John Wesley. When I was trying to write a concise list of his thoughts on practices, I asked Claude.ai. Or trying to remember some thoughts from Augustine of Hippo. Claude quickly returned a nicely written summary. It then asked if I wished to explore one of the topics more deeply.
I could have abdicated to Claude publishing its response unedited.
Better was to consider the research returned, think on it all, then write an essay of my take on the subject I was pondering—spiritual disciplines.
AI, my creativity, deepening my knowledge of the life in the Spirit all at one time.
Lifting the thought from one of my boyhood heroes, Alfred E. Newman of Mad Magazine, “What, me worry?”
Faith Venture 