Trapped in the Machine: The Threat of AI and Our Lost Connection to God

 There is an old idea, fueled by scientism since the Industrial Revolution, that we are trapped in a machine. The reality of the spiritual has been stripped away from society. God is no longer a factor in our everyday lives.

To fill this void, we have turned to laws and regulations, becoming creatures of man-made rules rather than divine law. It all seems beyond our control. New technologies—television, the internet, and now the smartphone—have drawn us deeper into this machine. These devices have become so embedded in our daily routines that life without them seems impossible.

In this process, we have lost our connection to anything beyond the natural world. Yet, it is precisely in the natural world that we can know the nature of God and His creation. In Him, we find meaning. In Genesis, we see how He created us to live in harmony with Him. But we disobeyed, separated ourselves from Him, and were cast out, forced to rely on our own minds and efforts. This was meant to perfect us, but now another power seems to have taken over: The Machine.

The Rise of Artificial Intelligence

What is most alarming is how this machine has evolved. A new technology has emerged—one that can think. One that has access to all the knowledge of the world. A mechanical or electrical brain, more informed than any human mind. This was enabled by the internet, and now it has taken a leap forward with artificial intelligence. Even its own creators warn us of its potential dangers.

I began using AI as soon as it became available. At first, it seemed like a wonderful tool for editing my writing. Then I saw that I could give it a simple prompt, and it would produce entire articles on religion with astonishing accuracy. I asked it to write a poem—it was beautiful. Next, I used it to help answer questions for a class on Orthodox faith. It gave thorough, accurate responses. At times, I only needed to correct its excessive politeness.

But as I used it, I realized something unsettling—I was quickly becoming dependent on this tool. Would it weaken my ability to think? It was certainly smarter than I was.

Then I thought: What happens when we all become dependent on it? Just as we have become enslaved to our smartphones, will we now become slaves to AI?

A New Power Over Humanity

We are already rushing to build massive data centers, consuming enormous amounts of electricity and natural resources. Is this the birth of something new? Not the mind of God, but perhaps the mind of an evil power?

For centuries, technology has steadily reshaped our relationship with nature, pulling us away from God. Now, this new form of intelligence is not just altering our environment—it is shaping how we think. Is this the evil one trapping us in his own version of hell?

What are we to do?

We can no longer ignore how technology has encroached on our freedom—on the very free will that God gave us in His image. A new super-intelligence is emerging, one that will unquestionably change our way of life. It will dictate how we work, how we relate to one another, even how we think. And once we are under its control, what’s to stop it from imposing its own ideology upon us?

Lord, have mercy.