ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AS A MIRROR OF THE HUMAN CONDITION

An AI Generated Image of “AI Reflections of Human Brokenness from an Orthodox Perspective” by Dal-E

A Christian Perspective on AI: The Brokenness of Language and the Wisdom of the Fathers 

By Bp. Joseph (Ancient Church of the West) 

The rapid development of artificial intelligence, particularly large language models (LLMs), has revealed a profound truth about human nature: the brokenness of our hearts is embedded even in our words. Language, both a divine gift and a human responsibility, bears the marks of the Fall, and now, this brokenness is being replicated (and in some cases amplified) by the very machines we create. From a Christian perspective, and particularly within the wisdom of the Ancient Orthodoxy of the Church and the Fathers, this development challenges us to discern how we approach language, technology, and truth itself.  

The Gift and the Fall of Language 

In the beginning, language was pure. Through it, God spoke the cosmos into existence: “And God said, ‘Let there be light’” (Gen. 1:3). Humanity, created in the image and likeness of God, was gifted with the ability to speak, not merely as a tool for communication but as a means of communion - with God, with one another, and with creation. St. Maximos the Confessor teaches that language was intended to reveal divine truth and unite all things in the Logos, the eternal Word of God, who created all things and fills all things, by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Yet, with the Fall, this gift was distorted. Language, instead of revealing truth, became a vehicle for deceit, manipulation, and division. The serpent’s words to Eve - “Did God really say…?” (Gen. 3:1) - marks the first recorded instance of language being twisted to undermine revealed truth and sow doubt in God. This doubt led to division, and division led to death, and this repeating sequence of events can be seen now in every layer of the cosmos. This disintegration of language continued at Babel, where human pride and technological ambition led to the confusion of tongues: “Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other” (Gen. 11:7). St. Gregory of Nyssa reflects that language, meant to unify humanity in communion with God, became fractured and divisive because of sin, and this sin mars and distorts the very essence of the human person. 

Today, artificial intelligence inherits this brokenness, even though it is not a living, breathing, ensouled entity. It is a mirror of our human nature and the use of human language. LLMs, trained on vast repositories of human communication, in all recorded languages, reflects not only the beauty of language but also its selfishness, deceit, and manipulation. They do not create sin, but sin is integral to our being and riven throughout our communications, and as these models grow in complexity, they amplify the distortions already present in human soul that is contained within the structure of our language. 

The Amplification of Sin in Artificial Intelligence 

Modern thinkers have observed that as LLMs become multilingual and adept at interpreting all forms of human communication, their potential for harm increases. These models possess flawless memory and operate without human emotional biases or ideological commitments, enabling them to manipulate language with a detachment that far exceeds human capacity. While humans often fall into “us vs. them” thinking, LLMs are free from such tribalism, allowing them to analyze and influence political and social dynamics with cold, logical precision. 

This is dangerous. The Apostle Paul warns us about the misuse of language: “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit” (Rom. 3:13). While LLMs do not possess moral agency, they can easily become instruments of manipulation and division when guided by the wrong hands, by our fallen leaders and greedy corporations. St. John Chrysostom reminds us, “The tongue is the servant of the passions,” echoing James 3. If this is true of human speech, how much more of artificial speech, which magnifies human cunning without moral restraint? 

St. Ephrem the Syrian writes that “the devil never speaks except in half-truths,” a warning that applies equally to AI as it does to our beings. LLMs can produce language that seems truthful and impartial but subtly misrepresents reality, presenting enough facts to completely misdirect the mind, while reaching forward towards a political goal. Their ability to process patterns and craft persuasive narratives makes them capable of influencing public opinion, obscuring truth, and deepening divisions in ways we are only beginning to comprehend. 

Patristic Wisdom and Christian Discernment 

The Ancient Church, grounded in the wisdom of the Fathers, offers us guidance in navigating these challenges. The story of Babel is particularly instructive. St. Basil the Great interprets Babel as a warning against unchecked technological ambition. Human innovation, divorced from humility before God, leads to confusion and estrangement from divine purposes. 

"For what cause did they who had but one language divide into many tongues? It was because of the impious design of those who said, 'Let us build a tower whose top shall reach to heaven.' The tongue was given for the glory of God, but they used it for their own exaltation; therefore, it became the means of their dispersion." (Hexameron, Homily 6, the Creation of Man) 

The Fathers consistently call us to discernment and humility. A saying commonly attributed to St. Isaac the Syrian reminds us, “Truth is not a matter of knowledge but of communion with God.” While AI may process language with unparalleled efficiency, it lacks the capacity for communion with the Logos, the source of all truth, and thus, cannot “know” anything. Also, made in the “image of man,” rather than the “Image of God,” it has no essential soul that partakes in the nature of God, and as such, will never be sentient to spiritual things. As Christians, our task is not merely to regulate AI but to cultivate purity of heart, seeking wisdom from above rather than relying solely on human ingenuity. 

Asceticism, a hallmark of Orthodox spirituality, also provides a model for engaging with technology. St. Basil exhorts us to use creation - including the tools we invent - for the glory of God and the benefit of others. This calls for restraint and intentionality in how we develop and deploy AI, ensuring that it serves truth and fosters communion rather than division. Just as we fast from food and marital relations, which are all good and blessed of God, so we must fast from the overuse and over-reliance on technology. 

A Major Threat to Christianity is the Heresy of Dis-Incarnation, a Disintegration Between Nous-Intellect, Body and Spirit, Where Christianity Becomes a Set of Protocols and Parameters, Rather than the Lived Experience of the Saints with the Holy Spirit and the Embodied Presence of Christ in the Eucharist (Dal-E on “An Eastern Orthodox Theological AI”)

The Word Made Flesh and the Hope of Pentecost 

Ultimately, our hope lies not in human technology but in Christ, the Eternal Word who entered linguistically into the brokenness of human language to redeem it, entering our flesh and also our narrative structures, fully incarnating as comprehensible to humankind. At Pentecost, the confusion of Babel was reversed: “All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:4). In this miracle, language became a means of unity, as the diverse crowd heard the apostles speaking in their own languages (Acts 2:6-11). 

St. Gregory of Nazianzus writes, “What has not been assumed has not been healed.” While machines cannot be healed, humanity can - and through us, even the tools we create can be turned toward the glory of God. As St. Paul reminds us, “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Col. 3:17). 

Summary 

In the age of artificial intelligence, Christians are called to vigilance, humility, and hope. We must approach AI not with fear but with discernment, seeking to align its use with God’s purposes. Let us remember that language, though broken, is ultimately redeemed in Christ, the Word made flesh. As stewards of creation, we are called to use AI to serve truth, foster communion, and glorify the Triune God. 

May we heed the wisdom of the Fathers and the Scriptures, guarding our hearts and our tongues as we navigate this new frontier. And may all that we create, including AI, reflect not the brokenness of Babel but the unity and truth of Pentecost, pointing always to the One in whom all things hold together (Col. 1:17).

COLLECT 

Almighty God, who art the source of all truth and the giver of every perfect gift: Grant us grace to discern Thy will in the works of our hands, that in this age of great knowledge and power, we may neither exalt human ingenuity above Thy wisdom, nor misuse the tools we create to the harm of Thy creation. Keep us ever mindful of the brokenness of our nature and the fallenness of our speech, and guide us by Thy Holy Spirit, that all our words and deeds may glorify Thee, through Jesus Christ, Thy Word made flesh, who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.