2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity

Abstract

2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity by John C. Lennox. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Reflective, 2020. 124 pages. Hardcover; $19.99. ISBN: 9780310109563. *Oxford mathematician and science philosopher John C. Lennox has been active in Christian apologetics for more than ten years. Best known, perhaps, for his debates with Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Michael Shermer, and others (many of these debates are readily available online), Lennox has written numerous books defending the rationality of Christian faith. Many of his books address relationships between science and Christianity, such as his 2009 release: God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? *Lennox firmly believes that science and faith are compatible, as demonstrated by his easy way of integrating knowledge from science and theology. He often uses argument from design logic for God's existence. From his mathematical perspective, he points to the improbability of biogenesis to argue for the direct, non-evolutionary creation of life by God. As a result, he is often associated with advocates of intelligent design (ID). While the merits of ID with respect to creation matters are contested, it is indispensable when considering a future that will be (intelligently?) designed and built by human society. This is the central focus of 2084, its title a leap forward from George Orwell's 1984. *In chapters 1-3, Lennox cites many secular writers, utopian and dystopian, to highlight future possibilities. Their work accords with the assertion that artificial intelligence (AI) is of central importance; "AI will inevitably affect us all," so it is of interest not only to developers, but also to "philosophers, ethicists, theologians, cultural commentators, novelists, and artists" (p. 16). *But what is AI? Lennox offers his answer in two parts. Part one, chapters 4-5, examines "narrow" AI: computer systems designed to fulfill specific tasks, such as analyzing vast amounts of data or assisting in diagnosing illnesses. Narrow AI is operational now, providing great benefits to society, and its future potential is even greater. Unfortunately, like most technologies, it can also be corrupted by human sin. Lennox is not a Luddite, but he is realistic about AI's risks, and he lauds Christians involved in developing AI, such as Rosalind Picard at MIT. *Part two, chapters 6-7, describes the wider hopes some people have for AI, such as fundamental changes to human life. Indeed, transhumanists believe AI will eventually solve all the problems that beset human beings, including the "technical" problem (p. 85) of death itself. This hope is based on the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): a conscious, self-improving, superintelligent computer system. Human creativity would, in effect, bestow life on a technological artifact, just as God breathed life into the dust of the earth in Adam. These aspirations reveal, according to Lennox, a hope to become gods, the realization of the false promise of the serpent in Genesis 3. *In chapter 8, Lennox interprets such utopian hopes as rejecting God and his promises. He notes the irony "that those who are seeking to create a superintelligence do not realize that there is good evidence that a superintelligence, the superintelligence, already exists: God the Creator and Sustainer of the heavens and the earth" (p. 117). By rejecting the creator, the creatures made in God's image are diminished and at risk of being made "useless" (p. 128). *From a traditional Christian perspective, chapters 1-8 (more than half the book) provide a good overview of AI as the cornerstone of transhumanism. Anyone un-familiar with such matters will benefit from the account Lennox offers. Nevertheless, he skips over many of the details to get to his main interest: chapters 9-13, in which he develops his theological and eschatological perspectives on AI and its potential impacts. *Lennox is neither a preterist nor a post-millennial. Instead, he integrates the apocalyptic passages of Daniel, 2 Thessalonians, and Revelation to visualize what lawless progress in AI could produce. Ultimately, Lennox connects dystopian views of advanced technology, especially AGI, to the apocalyptic "beasts" in Daniel and Revelation. The mysteries of the apocalyptic genre do not concern Lennox; he is confident that the full meaning of such mysteries will become apparent as events unfold (p. 205). In the meantime, the prophecies encourage believers to be watchful and to guard against deception. With this call for watchfulness, Lennox moves to his conclusion: "There is no way to a glorious future that bypasses the problem of human sin, and the only one who has offered a viable solution to that problem is Jesus Christ, who faced it head-on on the cross" (p. 227). *For too long, many Christians have focused exclusively on matters of human origins, but the future of human life is ignored. Yes, all Christians look for the return of Christ, but what of the time between now and then? It seems that few believers are even aware of the challenges they will face later this century. By examining the future from a biblical perspective, Lennox offers an important corrective. *Christians will disagree over the future of human life, just as they do about human origins. In 2084, Lennox offers his views of the future, in accordance with his reading of scripture. His conclusions will satisfy some readers--and dissatisfy others--but 2084 will certainly inform them of AI and its importance. As believers ponder the future, by God's grace the church can remain true to its mission, finding answers to tough questions by searching the scriptures in light of the doctrines they reveal. *Reviewed by David Winyard, Associate Professor of Engineering, Grace College, Winona Lake, IN 46590.