Listen now: AI and Creativity on the 'Matters of Life and Death' podcast
Plus my AI seminar at Keswick Unconventional
It’s been a busy few weeks for me, with a wonderful time at Hutchmoot UK, followed by speaking at Keswick Unconventional combined with our family holiday in Keswick! I’ve barely had time to gather my thoughts or write, though I hope to catch up over the coming weeks.
Recent weeks have had a bit of an AI theme, as my appearance on Premier Unbelievable’s Matters of Life and Death podcast was released, and I ran a packed seminar on ‘Can Christians use AI faithfully?’ at Keswick Unconventional, with some help from the witty and wise . Read on for more details!
Listen to my discussion of AI and Creativity
For a technology that has only recently entered the public consciousness, AI is everywhere. It is useful, maybe even addictive, but can it also be harmful? Should we be concerned, as Christians, as creatives, as human beings, even, at what AI is doing to crafts such as artistry, writing and more? Is it possible to integrate it thoughtfully into our daily lives and work – welcoming the shortcuts it offers – without it gradually degrading our own intrinsic human God-given spark of creativity?
In this episode, I join show hosts John and Tim Wyatt to discuss my manifesto on how to maintain our humanity in the age of AI.
My AI Seminar at Keswick Unconventional
It was an honour to speak to a packed and highly engaged crowd of Christians at Keswick about whether we can use AI wisely and well — I encouraged people to think through cautiously and theologically the implications of AI, though stopping short of arguing not to use it at all.
I tried to give some theological “handles” for getting to grips with it, relating to being made in the image of God, our theology of work and of technology, our understanding of sin and the fall in relation to AI, and whether we can ‘redeem’ AI through careful, ethical use.
Some of this is based on what I’ve already written on here, but there was new material that I will adapt into fresh articles soon, I hope!
One cool thing about the seminar was that sign language interpretation was provided and a group of Deaf people were able to listen and participate in the discussions. One of the better use-cases for AI is in technologies that help people with different disabilities, so it’s great to get a wide range of experiences and perspectives!
Several people have pushed me on the question of the ethics of AI — do the issues around plagiarism and the environment mean that it should be a complete no-go, regardless of whether its impacts are positive or negative?
That’s a really important question that I’ve not written about directly yet. I respect the absolute No AI position, but I need to work through my thinking a bit more rigorously. I think there are some nuances here that I need to tease out before I can articulate a clear conclusion, but I recognise the importance of a principled ethical approach.
Let me know what you think in the comments, especially any articles or resources you have found particularly persuasive or helpful!
12 Rules of Healthy AI Use for Creative Thinkers
Practical principles for keeping hold of your soul, creativity and ability to think independently
Also in my pipeline:
The final part of my Doctor Who and the Nostalgia Trap analysis
How A Wrinkle in Time warned us about the dangers of AI, 60 years ahead of time
Recording new episodes of the Imaginative Discipleship podcast for season 2
Recommendations for books relating to Wales
Sharing some of my poetry!