Artificial Intelligence and Authentic Humanity: What Faith Says About Being Human

AI will change everything. Is that a good thing?

Many of us are justifiably concerned. Will AI take my job? Will it be used to manipulate me? Is AI smarter than me? Most of the questions boil down to this really big one:

Will AI replace me?

The way we think about AI is driven by how we think about what it means to be human. If we think being a human is all about the cells in our body, the work we do, or our own self-reliance, then AI can seem like an existential threat. But, if we think about humans as God does, we find our place in the universe is far more secure.

Replaceable Humanity

In our society, we often define humans in terms of biology, economics, or relationships. And these lenses make AI seem a threat to our core identity.

Biologically, defining a human seems easy. High school biology tells us we are the species Homo sapiens, and defined by a unique genetic structure. But in a future world where AI and robotics augment our bodies, integrate with our minds, even modify our genetics, perhaps our biological reality changes[1]. It has happened before. Homo sapiens used to co-exist with other humanoid species, like Neanderthals. But as our species became more advanced, the others declined and eventually died out[2]. It is not difficult to imagine a day when an AI-enabled subset of homo sapiens dominate their purely biological relatives.

In modern societies, we typically think about humans in economic terms, as consumers or producers. Humans are the ones who produce everything of value, and the ones who consume everything of value. But if economics is how we define our value, we are in trouble. Experts suggest 20-40% of current U.S. jobs could be wholly or partially replaced by AI within 5-10 years. That represents 35-65 million people potentially unemployed, a population the size of Texas and California combined[3].

In the Western world, especially the United States, independence has become a core human ideal. Our heroes are often self-made and self-reliant. Dependence, or even cooperation, are often seen as weakness. Artificial Intelligence could be the greatest helper mankind has ever had, making us more effective, more intelligent, perhaps even happier than we could be without it. But calling something a ‘helper’ confesses that I need help. If I derive my self-worth from my self-reliance, then a machine that claims to help me can be an insult - or even a threat.

Thinking of humans as simply a collection of cells, or a self-reliant cog within the machine of the economy, casts real doubts on our viability in an AI-dominated world. Perhaps we need to pose a deeper question: What does it mean to be human in the eyes of God?

Humanity In The Eyes of God

If we assume there is a God, a creative force that defined the universe and set in motion the forces that created humans, then the perspective of that entity must be relevant as well. So what might God say about what it means to be human?

In the eyes of God, humans are spiritual beings. We are endowed with a complex and valuable physical body. And—above all—we are beings deeply known and loved by the Creator.

HUMAN SPIRIT. One distinct feature of humans, recognized by many religious traditions, is that we have a spirit or essence that is distinct from our physical bodies. Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul…” The Talmud, a central text in rabbinic Judaism, says, ““The soul is pure. You created it, You formed it, You breathed it into me…You will take it from me and restore it to me in the future to come [4].” The Qur’an says “Every soul shall taste death. Then unto Us will you be returned [5].” The Bhagavad Gita, one of Hinduism’s most foundational texts, says, “The soul is neither born, nor does it die… it is eternal and immutable [6].”

No matter how intelligent or pervasive AI becomes, it will still exist in the context of the material world. Its logic resides in atoms, and flows as electrons. If the earth were destroyed, AI would be destroyed with it. But a God who created physical reality exists outside that reality. Faith offers the promise that our human spirit will ultimately find its home with that eternal God. Ecclesiastes, a book of wisdom literature cherished in both Jewish and Christian tradition, says “the silver cord of life snaps…the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it [7].”

PHYSICAL BODIES. But humans are not just spirits, we are connected to physical bodies created by, and valued by, God. The Apostle Paul said, “Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit [8].” Although Buddhism focuses heavily on transcending attachment, one of its most valued texts says, “The body is a temple; guard it with mindfulness [9].” Jesus explicitly taught that we should prioritize caring for the physical, bodily needs of others [10]. Judaism has an extensive set of dietary laws, rituals of mourning, and rules about hospitality that all value the physical body.

AI can power a machine that senses its environment and moves autonomously through the world. And when a part of a machine breaks, it can be replaced. In that sense, the body of an AI-enabled machine might be better than our own. But, God does not view our physical bodies as a weak link or a defect. The need to breathe and eat, the experience of pain, and the knowledge that our body will eventually expire, are all core to what it means to be fully human. Our body's frailty helps shape our soul. And our mortality is not a flaw - it's part of what binds us to each other and to God.

KNOWN AND LOVED. While being a conscious spirit inside a physical body is core to being human, the Christian tradition suggests humans have a remarkable trait even more central to our identity. A famous Psalm attributed to King David of Israel says, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me…You know my thoughts…everything I do…You place your hand of blessing on my head…[11]” The Apostle John wrote, “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! [12]” God sees each of us, knows each of us, and loves each of us.

Non-human things can be loved in a sense. A child can love a toy, a person can love a place, and it is likely that some people will grow to love their AI tools. But that kind of love is barely a drop when compared to the ocean that is the love of an eternal God. It is this unique connection with the divine that is the defining characteristic of humanity. The Jewish prophet Jeremiah wrote that God said, “I have loved you with an everlasting love…[13]”

Conclusion

AI may change and enhance our biology, it may encroach on our economic value, it may even threaten our own sense of self-reliance. But those are not the only things that define a human.

Faith suggests the essential, irreplaceable quality of humankind is this: we are all, each of us, eternal spirits, in one of a kind physical bodies, unconditionally loved by a God who knows us perfectly.

The U.S. Declaration of Independence, while far from a religious document, makes this point clearly. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights…” Our value is derived, not from what we produce or accomplish, but from the spark of the divine that rests within us.

No matter how artificially intelligent our machines become, they can never be authentically human. The rise of AI is not just a threat, but an opportunity to rediscover what it means to be a human in the eyes of God.

________________

[1] Technologies like Neuralink promise to enable computers to communicate directly with our brains. AI-enabled medical technologies could add decades to the typical human lifespan.

[2] “But then [Homo sapiens] met Neanderthals. The two populations mixed. Today, most people carry some Neanderthal genes. In fact, as much as 1–4 percent of the unique human genome might come from Neanderthals.” — Harari, Yuval Noah. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind. Harper, 2015, p. 12. Green, R. E., et al. (2010). Also see “A Draft Sequence of the Neandertal Genome”. Science, 328(5979), 710–722.

[3] Goldman Sachs 2023. McKinsey & Company 2023. PwC 2020.

[4] Talmud, Berakhot 60b

[5] Qur’an 29:57

[6] Bhagavad Gita 2:20

[7] ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭12‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[8] 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

[9] Dhammapada

[10] “…Come, you who are blessed…For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭34‬-‭36‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[11] Psalm‬ ‭139‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

[12] 1 John 3:1. This book is traditionally attributed to the Apostle John, but some scholars suggest it may have been written by one of his close associates, likely around 85-95 years after the death of Jesus.

[13] While this passage was originally spoken to the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a time of great oppression and suffering, Christians believe these words provide insight into the core nature of God. Namely that he loves humanity and that love is unchanging.