From a certain perspective, the release of ChatGPT may be the most important thing that happened this year. I’m not saying that I endorse this perspective, but I am certainly sympathetic to it. Yes, Russia invaded Ukrane – horrible! horrible! – SBF imploded the cypto world, Elon Musk became Chief Twit, the Democrats managed to hold the line in the elections, and the fortunes of DJT seem to be on the wane. All important events.
But ChatGPT...a million users signed up in five days. Remarkable. And I hear that GPT-4 is even more amazing. We’ll see in 2023. And, no, I don’t think AGI is imminent, much less The Singularity, or even AI Doom. The idea of AGI is so vague as to be useless for serious discussion. The others, fantasies, fever dreams. Yes, AI is potentially dangerous, but I’m more worried about human misuse of it than I am of it going rogue. No those ideas were born in a time, not so long ago, when the accomplishments of AI research were not so impressive, at least not to the layman.
Those days are gone. Anyone can see that ChatGPT is impressive, as are the various image making systems (that I’ve not yet played with). It’s time to get serious and attend to the business at hand. I’m with Buzz Lightyear on this: To infinity and beyond! And we might as well through in a more modest, Full steam ahead! from an earlier era.
All of this is a preface to asking ChatGPT how we’re to cope in a world where computers surpass us. My friend, Rich Fritzson, is executive director of a Unitarian congregation in the suburbs of Philadelphia. He asked ChatGPT to draft a sermon:
Write a sermon on the difficulty of finding meaning in a world where computers are smarter than human beings.
Dear friends,
As we gather here today, we are living in a world where computers are becoming smarter than human beings. This development has many implications for our society and for our personal lives.
One of the challenges that we face as a result of this is the difficulty of finding meaning in our lives. As machines become more intelligent, they are taking over more and more of the tasks that used to be done by human beings. This means that many of the jobs that used to give people a sense of purpose and fulfillment are now being done by machines.
In this situation, it can be difficult for us to find meaning in our lives. We may feel as if our lives are becoming meaningless and pointless, as we are replaced by machines in more and more areas of our lives.
But, my friends, we must not lose hope. Even in a world where machines are smarter than human beings, we can still find meaning in our lives. We can find meaning in the relationships that we have with other people, in the things that we create and accomplish, and in the way that we live our lives.
We must also remember that machines are not capable of experiencing the full range of human emotions and experiences. They cannot feel love, joy, sorrow, or pain in the same way that we can. This means that there are still many things that only human beings can do and experience.
So, even in a world where machines are smarter than human beings, we can still find meaning in our lives. We must not let the rise of machines cause us to lose hope or to give up on our search for meaning. Instead, we must continue to live our lives with purpose and meaning, and to cherish the things that only human beings can experience and enjoy.
May God bless us all in our search for meaning and fulfillment in this challenging world.
Amen.
I decided to repeat the prompt, knowing full well that ChatGPT would give me a different response:
Write a sermon on the difficulty of finding meaning in a world where computers are smarter than human beings.
Finding meaning in a world where computers are smarter than human beings can be a difficult and complex task. On the one hand, computers are capable of incredible feats of calculation, logic, and problem solving that far surpass our own abilities. This can make us feel small and insignificant in comparison, and leave us wondering what our place is in a world where machines are superior to us in so many ways.
At the same time, it is important to remember that computers are not alive in the same way that we are. They do not have consciousness, emotions, or the ability to experience the world in the same way that we do. They are tools, designed to help us accomplish tasks and make our lives easier.
So what does this mean for us as human beings? How do we find meaning in a world where computers are smarter than us?
First and foremost, it is important to recognize that intelligence is not the only measure of worth or value. Just because computers are able to do some things better than us does not mean that they are superior to us in every way. We have unique abilities and qualities that make us valuable and important, even in a world where machines are smart.
For example, we have creativity, empathy, and the ability to experience emotions. These are things that computers cannot do, and they give us a unique perspective and ability to connect with the world around us.
In addition, even though computers are good at solving problems and making calculations, they are not always the best at understanding context or making complex judgments. They are limited by the information and instructions that they are given, and they do not have the ability to think outside the box or come up with creative solutions to problems.
This means that there is still a place for human beings in a world where computers are smarter than us. We can use our unique abilities and qualities to do things that computers cannot, and we can work together with computers to accomplish even more.
So, in conclusion, finding meaning in a world where computers are smarter than human beings can be challenging. But it is not impossible. We have unique abilities and qualities that make us valuable and important, and we can use these to make a difference in the world. By recognizing our own worth and working together with computers, we can find meaning and purpose, even in a world where machines are superior to us in many ways.
I got to thinking: We are God’s children, God’s creatures, along with the plants and animals, etc. What is the relationship between God and the AIs of the future? Are they God’s creature as well, where we serve as His vehicle of creation, or are they merely our own creatures? Hmmm...
But let us set that aside – though I suppose I could ask ChatGPT, no? No, let’s forge ahead.
I was deeply impressed by Barack Obama’s eulogy for Clementa Pinckney, which took the form of a Black vernacular sermon, and blogged about it quite a bit. Notice the bit I’ve highlighted. Otherwise, it was not at all what I was hoping for. So I did a bit of further prompting.
Would you repeat that in the style of Barack Obama?
My fellow Americans, today I want to speak to you about the difficulty of finding meaning in a world where computers are smarter than human beings. As we all know, technology has come a long way in recent years, and computers are now capable of doing many things that were once thought impossible. But what does this mean for us as human beings? Are we becoming obsolete in a world where machines are becoming increasingly intelligent?
Some may argue that this is the case, and that computers are taking over our jobs, making us unnecessary and redundant. And in some ways, this is true. Computers can perform certain tasks faster and more accurately than we can. But I believe that this is not the whole story. As human beings, we have unique qualities that computers do not possess. We have emotions, creativity, and the ability to think abstractly. We can empathize with others and experience the world in ways that machines cannot.
Furthermore, I believe that our faith in God gives us a sense of meaning and purpose that is not based on our abilities or achievements. As Christians, we know that our worth comes from God and not from the world. We know that we are created in God's image and that we are loved by Him.
Therefore, we should not be afraid of a world where computers are smarter than us. Instead, we should focus on what makes us unique and valuable as human beings. We should use our talents and abilities to serve God and our fellow human beings. Let us not be discouraged by the advances of technology, but let us remember that our worth comes from God and that we have unique qualities that make us valuable in His eyes. Let us use our talents and abilities to serve Him and others, and let us find meaning and purpose in our lives through our faith in Him. Thank you.
Do you recall Obama's Remarks by the President in Eulogy for the Honorable Reverend Clementa Pinckney?
I do not have the ability to recall specific speeches or statements made by former President Barack Obama. I am a text-based AI program and do not have access to information or memories of events outside of what is provided to me.
Yes, but you know, the text of that eulogy is readily available online in several places, so that’s no excuse.
I decided to step back a bit and, to be honest, ChatGPT’s response was embarrassing. I mean, if the Chatster were a sentient being, it would have been embarrassing to them. But the Chat is not sentient. No, it was embarrassing to me to read. So I’m not going to repeat it in full. I’ll just give you the first paragraph of its response.
Write a sermon on the difficulty of finding meaning in a world where computers are smarter than human beings. Write it in the style of an African American “down home” preacher.
Brothers and sisters, I wanna talk to y'all today about the difficulty of findin' meanin' in a world where computers are smarter than us. Now, I know some of y'all may be thinkin' that computers are takin' over our jobs and makin' us unnecessary. And in some ways, that's true. Computers can do certain things faster and better than we can.
There are plenty of Black vernacular sermons on YouTube, but they are unavailable to large language models. Are there no transcriptions? Anyhow, ChatGPT really screwed the pooch on that one.
So I prompted it with Martin Luther King. That response did not make me blush, but it was rather pedestrian. So I’m not going to give it in full. Note the highlighted lines.
Write a sermon on the difficulty of finding meaning in a world where computers are smarter than human beings. Write it in the style of an inspired African American preacher, like Martin Luther King.
My fellow brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today, I want to speak to you about the difficulty of finding meaning in a world where computers are smarter than human beings. As we all know, technology has advanced greatly in recent years, and computers are now capable of doing many things that were once thought impossible. But what does this mean for us as human beings? Are we becoming obsolete in a world where machines are becoming increasingly intelligent?
Perhaps, as we look toward the new year, we should remind ourselves just what it means to be human. Let us dream.
* * * * *
“I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963.
Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity. But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free.
One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.
So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.
This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.
So we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God's children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.
It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if 1 the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights.
The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.
We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.
The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.
We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.
Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal." I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor's lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring." And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"
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