JUST THINKING

Author: Dale Hill

  • Are We Letting AI Shape Our Moral Compass?

    Artificial intelligence has garnered attention,
    but are we paying attention?

    My last post about Ai and its effects on us has stirred some people—hopefully in a good way. In that post, I noted how Ai ‘learns’ about its users.

    I also showed how many are concerned about the effects of Ai usage on the younger population. Now there is research going even deeper than what we have seen previously. The findings are far from encouraging.

    While I was correct in stating that the chatbots learn about their users, I failed to see how that could be detrimental in the long run for many users. The study, which appeared in the journal “Science” called the majority of chatbots “sycophants.” Sycophantic AI decreases prosocial intentions and promotes dependence (read the article here)

    This is a quote from the Editor’s Summary of the article:
    The sycophantic (flattering, people-pleasing, affirming) behavior of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots, which has been designed to increase user engagement, poses risks as people increasingly seek advice about interpersonal dilemmas. There is usually more than one side to a story during interpersonal conflicts. If AI is designed to tell users what they want to hear instead of challenging their perspectives, then are such systems likely to motivate people to accept responsibility for their own contribution to conflicts and repair relationships? …The model’s responses were nearly 50% more sycophantic than humans’, even when users engaged in unethical, illegal, or harmful behaviors. Users preferred and trusted sycophantic AI responses, incentivizing AI developers to preserve sycophancy despite the risks.

    “Even when users engaged in unethical, illegal, or harmful behaviors” the user was affirmed as being in the right. This should raise a red flag of warning across the digital universe.

    People—kids included—look to others for affirmation and insight. We usually choose a sympathetic friend in whom to confide when we are facing difficulties with someone else. We seldom choose the one friend who is guaranteed to be critical.

    Ai chatbots have become the new “Ann Landers” of the ‘what’s-your-advice’ about interpersonal conflicts. Yes, many of us grew up with that sort of thing and we do not seem to have been harmed by it. However, we must remember, Ann Landers was ‘one of us’, with basically the same societal worldview as the ones seeking advice. That is no longer the case with these large language models (LLM).

    A difficulty in measuring the effects of advice on personal conflicts is that we no longer have a standard measurement for right or wrong. However, regardless of the right or wrong of a situation, the chatbots are built to affirm the user in their position. This does not bode well for the development of our younger population.

    When kids get together and someone shares about a personal affront, the group dynamic helps the person learn about social interactions. Different responses, which are appropriate for the age, are shared by the group. This aspect is not possible with a chatbot designed to affirm you in your weakness.

    Many psychologists view social feedback as an essential part of learning how to make moral decisions and maintain relationships. With this being eliminated by our social media world, it is not yet possible to determine the fallout from such a lack. It appears that years from now we will realize that something should have been done to thwart the dependence on social media and Ai.

    Some will say that I am “fear-mongering” and just making another plea for a ‘return to the old ways.’ I won’t argue that point, but the research which is currently being done in many fields shows us that we should at least be paying attention.

    We are already aware of the dependence on social media which has been created. This dependence is now being called an addiction. We see the effects all around us as people are not able to leave their phone alone for more than a few minutes.

    I am not one of those who says to avoid Ai due to its inherent dark side. People tried that with radio, television and the internet. Avoidance is not the solution, any more than tee-totaling avoids alcoholism. We need to learn how to use Ai to our advantage, rather than letting Ai use us to its advantage.

    Jesus said to “be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves’ (Matt. 10:16). It’s the wisdom part that the majority has failed to learn.

    I know that I am not at the forefront of those who are learning and studying the effects of Ai. I am only gleaning from those who are. Many of you are probably not doing what I am doing—and that is okay. We each need to grasp what we can from whom we can to do what we can.

    This is not a time to simply look the other way and hope that things will work out for the good.

  • Thinking About Ai Before Ai Does Your Thinking

    Ai IS HERE TO STAY

    Artificial intelligence (Ai) is currently at the top of the technology heap. If you haven’t heard of it, then you are probably not reading this article, because I am using digital technology to publish this.

    The trend is so strong that it is luring many entrepreneurs to find ways to monetize its use. Someone who failed English in high school is now promised to become an overnight sensation with a best-selling novel. People who go broke faster than they can cash their paycheck are being told they can amass great wealth with just a few keystrokes. Relationships can be restored through using Ai. On and on, name your problem and there is an Ai model to fix it.

    Most of these, of course, come with a fee; but there are some that are keeping their basic Ai source free of charge. Two of these are both popular—ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. Both of these also have paid tiers for power users.

    Currently, though, it is not the power users who are on the radar of those concerned about Ai’s dark side. Counselors, teachers, parents, pastors, social workers, etc. are alarmed about the negative aspects of dependence on Ai by children and young adults.

    I share some of these concerns, but not for the same reasons.

    My idealism knows that if we were simply taught how to think rather than what to think, there would not be a problem. My realism checks my idealism to bring me down to the necessity of dealing with the potential problems among a citizenry that has lost its collective mind and now scrambles for the latest hot button in society. (I wrote about this earlier.)

    As I ask questions among different groups, I find that there is ‘some’ concern, but no real direction as to how to approach what is happening. I’ve asked pastors, seasoned business leaders and teachers, but hand-wringing is about all I’ve come away with. Most don’t see any problem beyond the ability to plagiarize a term paper.

    Our social scientists—professional and observers—see much more than that. Their concern is that personalities are being shaped, world-view is being compromised, and teen suicide is a real and prevalent danger.

    I see the reports, the studies and the news articles and I agree. There is grave potential for much negative impact from the use of Ai. I want to sound a wake-up call to parents and grandparents, but I don’t have the platform or the voice. So, I do what I can do—I write.

    In some ways, I think the danger has been overstated, but in other ways, I’m not so sure. We have worshiped at the media altar since before I was born. Newspapers, radio, television, telephone, internet, social media have all played a hand in our development for the current presentation of homo sapiens. In that place, what is there to fear? We’ve been living this reality for decades.

    Can we back up and start over? What a ridiculous question!! Can we change where and what we are? A more thoughtful question. However, if I apply that question to society, then I come up with a strong sense of ‘NO!’ If I apply that question to myself, then ‘YES!’ is the only intelligent answer. And with that answer comes another thought-provoking question— ‘How?’

    As a people, we have become so accustomed to quick and easy fixes, that any “fix” that requires time, discipline and work is almost immediately rejected.

    SPOILER ALERT—that is how we got to where we are. Quick and easy is never a possibility for that which was formed over time without conscious awareness.

    There is a ‘fix’ showing up which is more of a protection, but I am bothered by the implications. This is the development of specialized Ai programs or agents which limit exposure to that which is ‘unacceptable.’ “Unacceptable” in this case refers to that which would corrupt a Christian worldview.

    Now, don’t jump to conclusions and get your panties in a wad over that. I am an avowed, dedicated and up-front Christian who believes what he learns from the Bible. I also know that there are more than 40k denominations in the world, many of whom espouse a different understanding of parts of Scripture from my own.

    Therefore, the immediate question about the different Ai models to ‘protect’ Christians should be “according to whom?” and, “Does it matter?”

    When it comes to the interpretation of the Bible, then YES, it matters. When it comes to protecting us from a corrupting worldview, then maybe not so much.

    I am only familiar at this time with just two Ai models that fit this category of protection for Christians. One is specifically for a particular interpretation of the Bible and the other is for protection from corrupting ideas about the world.

    I have used them both. Both of them require a monthly fee for their use. One offers a free trial. The other only offered a demonstration of its capabilities. In using each of them, I gave a prompt and then gave the same prompt to both ChaptGPT and Claude. What I learned was eye-opening in light of this discussion.

    For the Scripture interpretation, I used—“What did Jesus mean in John 14:6?” I used that in both ChatGPT and Claude and in the one developed by a teacher of Universalism. Although each one was different, none were especially eye-opening or informing. They were not THAT different in their understanding. (I’ll tell you why in a moment.)

    For the worldview interpretation, I used the very same prompt the Ai model used in its demonstration—“I’m jealous bout my neighbor’s new car. What should I do?” Interestingly, all three were in agreement. The “Christian” model responded as expected, and the other two were not categorically different.

    As I considered a little more, I think I discovered the reason.

    At first glance, it would appear that there should be no concern over the secular models leading us astray with a corrupt worldview. However, there is one little detail which might make all the difference—the two secular models already “knew” me.

    Because I have been using ChatGPT and CLAUDE on a regular basis, they have both learned about me. Both are able to draw from previous chats. Since most of my work involves the Bible or my work as a pastor/teacher, both models referred to that aspect of my being when I used the “jealousy” prompt.

    Therefore, this brings up the distinct possibility that Ai models will more than likely respond with that which you have already given them. If a teenager is continually feeding the model with thoughts of “I’m just a worm,” the model may respond accordingly. Have these kinds of tests been run yet?

    Should we be concerned? Yes, for sure. Since we know that we have lost the ability for critical thinking, there is the distinct danger of being told what to think by a source with whom we would ordinarily disagree.

    Should we be alarmed? Only if we know that we have failed to give those in our care sufficient tools to involve life head-on.

    There is no quick fix to our current dilemma. We can only avail ourselves of the wisdom which dictates we prepare ourselves accordingly. We can bury our heads in the sand and hope it all works out for the good, or we can take deliberate steps to use Ai in an intelligent and moral way. The Ai you use can probably be “taught” to give you what you need.

    Will confirmation bias be the next Ninja hiding within the Ai world?

  • Navigating Life Changes: Embracing Transformation

    CHANGES, Changes, Changes, changes

    I had a friend many of you knew. He had a traveling ministry with a prophetic gift. After his teaching, he would begin to move through the expectant crowd with words of encouragement couched in prophecies.

    They would often come in the form of something he saw. I don’t know how many times he saw the peeling of an onion, but there were quite a few in the times I was with him.

    He would introduce that vision with the words, “Changes, changes, changes. I see changes for you…” He would often explain those changes, and the remarkable thing was that he was most often correct. The person would experience the things that had been spoken—sometimes years later—and they would remember the words he had spoken.

    If you’re like me, you are secretly laughing at the thought of predicting ‘change.’ How hard is that to do? We ALL go through changes in our life. The difference with his gift, though, was that he could articulate the particular changes.

    We can do that in hindsight. Also, with our knowledge of life, we can predict certain changes for others. The boy will lose his high-pitched voice and grow whiskers. The girl will lose her skinny frame and fill out to full womanhood.

    The problem I see, however, is how uncomfortable we are with change as we get older. We want—and apparently expect—everything to remain exactly as it is now.

    Change comes uninvited and unannounced, whether we like it or not.

    One day our knee begins hurting. One day a tooth needs to be removed. One day we look in the mirror and wonder why that old person is standing in front of us. One day, a friend who made life worth living is gone—without our permission.

    Change is so much a fact of life, that we have the cutesy saying—“the only constant in life is change.”

    How do we handle change? How do we respond to the sudden awakening to something that has been going on for some time? For many, they experience shock. Maybe we all do when we first notice the change. But, after that? How do we handle the effects of change in our being, our family, our society, our nation?

    I’ve learned that much of our ongoing suffering is directly related to how much we resist what is. There is much in our life and the world in which we live that we don’t like. The human tendency is to make sure anyone within earshot knows how much we don’t like something. We complain. Why? Why do we complain? What good does it do?

    I’ve watched as many of my friends develop an impotent rage against our government. I say ‘impotent’ because when I ask what can they do about it, the reality is “nothing.” It is what it is. Yet they continue to feed on their discontent all the while wondering why their body is causing them such pain. Are the two related?

    Maybe.

    A proverb states that “A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.” (Pro 14:30) The word ‘envy’ has to do with intensity of zeal or anger. When there is no release for this passion, dysfunction of the bodily systems sets in.

    If there is nothing you can do about that which upsets you, then why feed it? The opposite is a heart at peace—‘tranquil’—which gives life to the body.

    The point is—changes are a part of life. Shift happens. Resist that which you can change, or go with the flow with that which you cannot.

    Our attitude is not determined by circumstances, but by how we respond to those circumstances. Our minds determine our attitude. We can respond positively or negatively. It’s how we react to events, not the events themselves, that determine our attitude.

    There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes them so.
    (Shakespeare, Hamlet II, 2)

    Therefore, the only reasonable thing to do knowing that change will keep happening is to keep living, and learn to accept and learn from the changes in life.

  • Whatever Became of Personal Responsibility? How We Learned to Stop Blaming Ourselves

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