Part 1: Why AI Won’t Save Us—But Wisdom Might

(* Thanks once again, friends, for engaging here.)

Well…I guess that depends on your worldview.

“Help me sort out these terms,” I said to a close friend and spiritual mentor just this morning. “Knowledge, discernment, and wisdom.”

“Knowledge fills the mind,” Thomas answered. “Discernment selects the right course in light of that knowledge. And wisdom steers the heart and hands.”

Here’s a caution against leaning too heavily on knowledge, as we’re prone to do in our post-industrial, information-saturated society. “Artificial intelligence is the fastest-growing fount of knowledge in human history—yet how we apply that knowledge will determine whether it leads to our progress or peril.”(Source: ChatGPT)

I like Thomas’s answer. He added two more points, crucial to those who possess a Judeo-Christian worldview, as we both do: “Wisdom is discerned in counsel”—a rough paraphrase of Proverbs 15:22, found in the Old Testament wisdom literature—and “Wisdom is experience reflected upon in light of the word of God.”

Now, if you adhere to a different faith tradition, or don’t aspire to any faith, don’t stop reading.

My purpose here is not to advocate for a particular religion, although in my opinion, eliminating faith from the public square is—if I may paraphrase Chat—perilous to us all. I think leaders in our cities, states, country, and world are in dire need of deep wisdom.

I once read a statement I’ve never forgotten: “To live without seeking wisdom is like walking through life with open eyes yet never truly seeing.”

I believe the American experiment remains mankind’s best hope, yet the tapestry that holds it together is beginning to fray. I believe we must seek, ask…dare I say it, pray…for wisdom to meet the challenges of our day.

Chat offers us five wisdom challenges (although I suspect he/she could issue many more):

  1. Prosper without losing the soul of the place you call home.
  2. Disagree without tearing the fabric of the republic.
  3. Protect the planet without leaving anyone behind.
  4. Spend your days on what you’ll be glad you chose in the end.
  5. Let machines grow smarter without making humanity less wise.

Here’s a personal one I’m wrestling with right now: rather than harbor ridicule and anger toward a neighbor who seems intent on taunting us for no apparent reason, how can I apply grace in equal measure to the grace God has granted to me? In other words, love him anyway.

In future stacks, I plan to examine wisdom both from faith-based traditions (the world’s great religions) and secular perspectives.

Let’s dialogue respectfully with each other. I want to hear your thoughts.