In a review for Google’s new Veo 3 application, Mike Todasco outlines the evolution of artificial intelligent generated content: from text to text prompts in 2021; text to image in 2022; text to music in 2024; and finally, text to video in 2025. But ironically, despite writing with a technological lens, he addresses the root societal issue with AI: “Here’s the paradox. In a world where AI-generated content becomes effortless, “real” human experiences will become more valuable. As AI video becomes ubiquitous, authentic human content will command a premium.” In other words, as technology more easily and more readily provides artificial, virtual, digital fake realities—human to human interactions will become more valuable, more impactful, and more necessary. Enter the church. She is designed for such a task. Actually, she is only designed for community and authentic interactions (the “real” AI).
Scrape past the potential for community and authentic to be mere buzzwords and slogans, and you’ll get to the gospel. The gospel is the telling of a God-man, Jesus, dwelling in the crowd of humanity. Community and authentic interactions are the only method of the God-man. Yes, we each have (or are destined to have) individual spiritual encounters with a living God that resides in the heavens. But we were not made to hide in silos. These individual spiritual encounters prove themselves in tangible ways in our own lives (e.g. maintaining self control beyond our own self ability). Further, they should also impact our neighbors’ lives (e.g. by revealing supernatural kindness). The flow from self to neighbor creates community and authentic interactions. Thus, the God-man, Jesus, perfectly demonstrates the Father’s love through community and authentic interactions.
The gospel of Mark chapter 5 models the antidote to the rise of artificial living. Specifically, the latter half presents two women that Jesus encounters. One is young while the other is old. One is 12 years of age and the other has had an illness for 12 years. One is known (through her father’s status) and the other is unknown, an outcast. While we’ve come to read these stories in the context of miraculous encounters, which is true, we should also be reading them in the context of the physicality of human living and the need for authentic encounters—and that is precisely where the God-man chooses to stand. Like a light in the dark and a temple in a wasteland, Jesus reveals the gospel through intentional, authentic encounters. Yes, the young woman is brought back from the dead and the older woman is released from her sickness. But they are also restored to their families and communities. They were both unclean and to be avoided. And yet, Jesus takes the little girl by the hand and makes himself available for the older woman to reach and touch him. Touch: a handshake, a hug, the passing of a side dish, joining hands in prayer, laying of hands in prayer—this is the physicality of the gospel intertwined with the physicality of human living. God is Spirit, but not abstract nor esoteric. God’s Son proved that as the “Word became flesh”. Or as the Message translation succinctly says, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood…” John 1:14 MSG.
“Into the neighborhood” cannot be replicated no matter how far artificial living evolves. Sure, you can prompt a computer to write a ballad or create a 90 second video of a couple dancing to that ballad, but none of it is real in the sense that you and I are real. Artificial intelligence does not need to be feared. It needs to be subjugated to the sincerity and intentionality of the church. The real AI of authentic interactions are powerfully designed to not only connect human to human, but also human to God. Unplug as needed. More importantly, press into the crowd of human living; lay hands on the sick; visit those that are dying—all of that is real.
