The Powerful Force of AI
The year was 1974. My mother was an accountant at a large, growing automotive remanufacturing company in Philadelphia and was asked to house an office with three employees in our home to manage the executive payroll. My father remodeled the basement to accommodate but had no idea how large the office would become with the delivery of the newly released IBM computers. The three computers took up one-third of the office space. I remember my mother being trained in all things computer that year. The age of technology was about to explode in ways we could never have comprehended and artificial intelligence was jumping on its bandwagon.
As I think of the words “artificial intelligence,” or “AI” the word itself denotes it is not the real thing. So what is real intelligence? In Artificial Intelligence: The Basics, Kevin Warwick tracks how the definition of intelligence has evolved through the years:
- 1932 (New English Dictionary) – The exercise of understanding: intellectual power: acquired knowledge: quickness of intellect.
- 1995 (Macmillan Encyclopedica) – The ability to reason and to profit by experience. An individual’s level of intelligence is determined by a complex interaction between their heredity and environment.
- 1900’s (Binet) – the essential ingredients of intelligence are judgment, common sense, initiative, and adaptability…linked with spiritual awareness or emotion.[1]
The meaning of intelligence encompasses many human characteristics. The general argument in ascribing intelligence to computers is that computers may be able to do things, such as communicate, but are incapable of understanding.[2]
As I listened to webinars regarding the educational concerns regarding AI, I tended to agree with the overarching thought that AI is not going away. As David Boud noted, “We cannot put the genie back in the bottle.” [3] We need to utilize it for our own good.
Dangers:
As with anything, dangers are lurking. Cheating is possible. Inaccuracy is probable. As Boud stresses, protocols need to be in place for educational institutions so that the use of AI is documented in research. As Boud mentions claiming info as your own without documentation is cheating.[4] Jason Thacker in “The Age of AI” speaks well of all that AI can offer, but also warns of its deception. When we humanize machines and are “fascinated by our ability to create things in our image,” what becomes dangerous is that we feel above God in some ways.[5]
Also, computers will never be able to fully substitute a person. Thacker makes the point that “our status as image-bearers (of God) is secure. No technological advance will ever be able to change what it means to be distinct from creation.”[6]
Limits:
Fearing the worst-case scenarios can hinder one from gaining the positive use of the tool. As with any other computer tool, how it is used is key. When I access Grammarly, for instance, I don’t always agree with what it desires to change. I continue to decide what is needed. Just as we have learned to use and differentiate between Wikipedia and peer-reviewed articles, understanding the pros and cons of AI needs to be addressed. My greatest concern in accessing AI as an information tool is its accuracy. If I need to double-check myself, I would rather just go to the source of research and not through a tool like AI.
Possibilities:
After viewing Kahn’s thoughts on tutoring and the usefulness that AI serves, my curiosity was sparked. I went to the OpenAI website and typed in “How can AI help with my dissertation?” Here is the response:
While AI can be a valuable resource, it’s essential to use it as a complement to your own skills and judgment. Always verify the output generated by AI tools and ensure that your dissertation maintains your unique voice and scholarly integrity. Additionally, be aware of any institutional guidelines or ethical considerations related to the use of AI in your research.[7]
Some ways it can help with a dissertation:
- Research Assistance:
- Literature Review: AI-powered tools can quickly analyze and summarize large volumes of academic papers, helping you identify relevant literature for your dissertation.
- Data Collection: AI can scrape data from online sources, databases, or social media, automating the data collection process.
- Data Analysis:
- Statistical Analysis: AI can perform complex statistical analyses, helping you draw meaningful conclusions from your data.
- Machine Learning: If your research involves predictive modeling, AI algorithms can help you build and evaluate models.
- Writing and Editing:
- Grammar and Style Checking
- Plagiarism Detection
- Organization:
- Note-taking and Summarization
- Language Translation:
- If your research involves international sources, AI-powered translation tools can help you work with documents in different languages.
- Time Management:
- Scheduling
- Task Automation
- Data Visualization:
- AI tools can create compelling data visualizations, making it easier to present and interpret your findings.
- Citation and Reference Management:
- Zotero or EndNote
- Proofreading:
- AI-powered proofreading tools can help you catch errors that might have been missed during manual proofreading.
- Virtual Research Assistants:
- Virtual assistants like chatbots can answer questions, conduct initial research, and provide guidance on various dissertation-related tasks.
- Natural Language Processing (NLP):
- NLP models can assist in analyzing text data, extracting insights, and even generating summaries.[8]
AI is no doubt a powerful force that has many benefits and challenges. How we navigate these waters will shape its course. It is imperative to consider legal, ethical, and social implications and use wisdom while using AI, all the while fostering greater innovation in this area.
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[1] Kevin Warwick, Artificial Intelligence: The Basics: The Basics (Florence, UNITED STATES: Taylor & Francis Group, 2011), http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/georgefox/detail.action?docID=958762, 13-14.
[2] Warwick, 63.
[3] “AI – Google Drive,” accessed September 4, 2023, https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1eMgz1LWSXLOeFrPcAMDf0z5KEwFVhAs7.
[4] “AI – Google Drive.”
[5] Jason Thacker, The Age of AI (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2020), 49.
[6] Jason Thacker, 49.
[7] “AI – Google Drive,” accessed September 4, 2023, https://chat.openai.com/?model=text-davinci-002-render-sha.
[8] “AI – Google Drive.”
About the Author
Esther Edwards
Esther has served in ministry leadership for over 35 years. She is an ordained minister, an ICF and CCLC certified coach, and licensed coach trainer. Her and her husband have launched their own coaching practice, Enjoy the Journey Leadership Coaching and seek to train ministry leaders in the powerful skill of coaching. Esther loves hiking, reading, and experiencing new coffee shops with friends and family. She enjoys the journey with her husband, Keith, their four daughters, sons-in-law, and their four, soon to be five, beautiful grandchildren.12 responses to “The Powerful Force of AI”
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Hi Esther,
Loved your post and the way your bullet points are concise and cover almost all aspects of the discussion.
Like using Zotero and Obsidian, ChatGPT is a tool we will need to practice with before we actually start using it effectively.
The new movie The Creator (it is about AI destroying the world), speaks to our fears (like the terminator), but I if I stretch it to the second amendment discussion – AI like any tool/weapon is only as good as the user.
Still I grew up watching Star Trek. Scotty/Spock/CPT Kirk (my childhood heroes). Would say “computer” put a query and the story would role on. As a tool, it helped humanity “go where no man has gone before.”
I guess I am okay with AI.
Shalom…
Russell,
The fear has been real through the years. I remember many conversations that were voiced regarding computers taking over and making humans obsolete or the work force coming to a halt as well as the economy because people were no longer needed. Somehow, having lived to the later side of 50, it is clear that society adjusts and evolves with change. Furthermore, so must the church…giving input and prospective as to what is helpful and harmful for our own souls.
Agreed! Our status as image-bearers is indeed NOT going way. I do wonder how our image bearing will play out as humans continue to innovate and enhance AI’s capabilities. I thought of a definition of work attributed to the British playwright, Dorothy Sayers: “Work is the gracious expression of creative energy…in the service of others.” How we steward the God-given creative talents…in the service of our neighbors and to the glory of God…of innovating and building powerful AI technologies will indeed require a great deal of wisdom. Great post!
You had me at Literature review: identifying relevant literature. Last semester I wasted so much time reading articles and even whole books that were ultimately tangential at best, sometimes totally irrelevant. I definitely would have used AI to sort through some of that mess.
Of all the ideas you discovered, are there any in particular that you are thinking of using or trying out?
Hi, Kim,
I, too, am excited to use the Literature review. We will have to compare notes as to how it helps this semester. However, I wonder, if leaned upon to much by new students, do some of these shortcuts hinder the ability for students to grow in their skills to investigate, search, and decipher what is needed? I think of map reading as an example. The GPS has saved us all so much time, but can a student read a map and find out where to go without the use of a phone? It may seem archaic, but are neuro connections lost by reverting to a simple click then a problem solving mindset? I imagine these are the questions that plague the educational world.
On another note, I look forward to being together again in Oxford! You are a gift to our cohort.
I love the image of a monster computer being housed in your basement as a child. What a great memory from a bygone era! Somewhere in your post, I started to recall a sentiment that I heard around 15 years ago in various places about how we were moving into an “information age” and how we needed to learn how to manage within that new age. I remember at the time, not having any idea of what that meant.
I think you post has done a great job at outlining the challenges we face in this “information age.” I appreciated your outline of ideas of how we can use AI for good; I am glad our cohort is moving through this new space togehter!
Jen,
It is such a unique memory that I never really appreciated until I saw the movie “Hidden Figures.” I actually laughed out loud in the movie theatre. The computers were truly enormous and cumbersome and demanded quite a learning curve! Today, thank goodness the size is manageable, but the learning curves are continuous and constant. So much to wrap our minds around.
I look forward to experiencing Oxford together!
Kim,
Your bullet list was helpful to me as I hadn’t even considered some of those opportunities AI’s might afford me in the program. While I proceed with caution, some of these time saving and cognitive offloading tools might help me spend more of my time getting after stuff I wouldn’t have otherwise had time for… in other words, it can provide the space for me to do an even deeper dive and more robust analytical thought into my NPO than I would have otherwise been able to do.
Thanks!
I agree, Tim. Saving time for greater research is a win!
Now that I understand it more, I plan to use it in finding sources for research. I honestly did not think this week’s blog would be as beneficial as it has been. We may all be AI experts by the time we finish this program!
Hi Esther,
Thank you for your very helpful list of potential uses for dissertation writing. It puts it into perspective just how much I already use AI for other things. Research assistance and data analysis are the areas I am least familiar with how AI can be used. Those uses could be helpful to me moving forward. Have you tried any AI tools that have worked well for your dissertation writing? I had never heard of ChatGPT until last week! I won’t be writing with it but was able to find some interesting references, which of course need to be checked!
Hi, Jenny,
I too didn’t realize that so many of the tools I already use were considered AI. I am grateful for these blogs because I will definitely use AI more. This morning I was interviewed in a podcast and decided to look up some of my info through AI to see if it was accurate, and it was for what I was covering. I still don’t want to use it for gathering information for my research since I would have to double check it. but do want to use it in finding academic papers and research sources. I imagine if I put in “peer-reviewed” it could quickly give me a substantial list on a subject.
Also, computers will never be able to fully substitute a person. Thacker makes the point that “our status as image-bearers (of God) is secure. No technological advance will ever be able to change what it means to be distinct from creation.” Absolutely. And yet, as AI becomes better and better at mimicking human behavior, I am sure some people will find themselves getting attached to a computer rather than other humans. To some degree this is already happening with some folks. One of our jobs as people of faith is to help people connect and remain connected in meaningful relationships without preaching fear about AI.