Will Artificial Intelligence Spread Christianity or Atheism



An executive in the AI industry told a conference of Christians AI will grow Christianity in many new countries around the world. He said the ability of AI to translate the Bible into languages which have never had such a translation will be like the Guttenberg press put the Bible into mass production.   

I think the guy is promoting his business and career more than prophesizing a big future for Christianity. If young people today, born into Christian families, are leaving the faith why would the Bible appeal to those who have never heard of it? There is a lot of AI hype out there and this looks like some of it.

The cell phone allowed young people around the world to learn about Christianity. But the young people also looked up sites critical of the Christian message and a huge proportion today have left the faith. It seems to me AI will be used by both the faith and its opponents to promote both views. To assume the faith will win is not what data tells us. One of the commenters pointed out that "Satan" also uses AI. 

To compare AI with the success that came from the printing press is to ignore the cultural influences. It's now apparent the culture and historical social environment was perfect for Christianity's marketing effort. That was then. I think we are in a period when the culture is quite hostile to Christianity and neither the printing press nor AI can make it succeed.   


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