2084: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity

John Lennox makes a strong case that AI, coupled with Utopian, mainstream but naive prophecies about man's evolution in the 21st Century by people like Yuval Harari, is more likely to contribute to a Dystopia like that described in the book of Revelation and George Orwell's 1984. I was not expecting the lengthy treatment of Biblical development and prophecy (which takes up nearly the second half of the book). Although John seems to be writing to Christians, he also clearly has a non-believing audience in view as he exhorts them to consider the relevance of the Bible and its central figure, Jesus. Jesus sheds light on the artificiality of secular versions of Homo Deus and is the ultimate solution to the problem of pain, evil, and lawlessness. The Biblical message is urgent because by 2084 we might be living in a Dystopia of biblical proportions.

I have enjoyed reading John's books over the years, but this may be his best. He lays out the arguments for AI with and without a moral context and does a fantastic job. If you are someone working with AI, or you are being called to make decisions using AI, then. this book is a must-read. I particularly like how John weaves AI with God's word and presents a strong case for considering how the two should work together. See if you agree after reading it yourself. Thanks, John

I work on AI policy in my career and was excited to read this book as moral implications of AI are part of my job. This book is essentially a book review of other books with which the author takes exception and offers little original thought in return. Steer clear.

Outstanding current synopsis on the broader fields of AI, Atheism, and Humanism and how they relate to the Christian worldview. Science being a method for exploring the material universe and falsifying scientific theories.Some quotes from the book 2084;"Science is not capable of disproving...the activity of a creator" - Jeremy England, MIT in WSJ October 12, 2017"Researchers and research projects follow the money.""God will more than survive science, but it has also led me seriously to question whether atheism will survive science"."Clearly Davies, Kirsch, and Brown are unaware that the laws of nature do not actually explain the world to us. What they do is describe its regularities. Not only that, but the laws of nature do not even cause anything, and hence they do not create anything."The most important quote for Christians, in my opinion;"I have already pointed out the danger of thinking that the kingdom of God on earth would eventually be brought about by Christian teaching permeating society in such a way that the world and its governmental structures would become Christian. The biblical “map” says the very opposite – the kingdom of God in its outward sense will arrive with the supernatural return of Christ to bring the global tyranny of “the beast” to its deserved end. Surely, someone will say, we can prepare ourselves for this kind of thing, can’t we, without all the bizarre details about horns and heads? Well, firstly, the vivid imagery is meant to convey an impression of very important realities – horns, a symbol of power, for instance, and heads, of rule and intellect. Secondly, some of the AGI scenarios are equally or even more bizarre."

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be a strong case for the ultimate Super Intelligence (God). Lennox points out the many areas that AI has benefitted humans, yet the direction it could eventually take may echo the consequences of Orwell's 1984 and steer us into the inevitable. Lennox spends the latter half of the book focusing on humans as unique creatures made in the image of the ultimate Super Intelligent being who became human and offers so much more than any technological novelty ever could.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, because I am at a point where better understanding how scripture informs and has informed our development is most important to me. This book hits it head on, with great insight into where we are headed and what the Bible tells us about it.

2084 is a vital and challenging book about one of the most significant developments spanning the world today. It interacts with the views of many leading authors in the fields of artificial intelligence, data analysis and futurology. For me, it has 3 main themes spread across its 13 chapters. The first is a review of AI, both for specific applications and, as AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), more widely applied. The second examines the moral and ethical challenges arising from AI, especially AGI, including a comprehensive review of what it is to be human. The third invites the reader to examine how the trajectory of AGI enabling may well be part of the fulfilment of the biblical prophecies in Revelation.>> Our modern world has adopted computer technology as quickly as it has been developed, has enjoyed its benefits and largely been ignorant of or chosen to ignore or dismiss nagging doubts about its application for evil purposes or the threat to personal privacy and liberty through data harvesting. We have been like the frog sitting in gently warming water, unaware of the mounting mortal danger until the heat kills it.>> The first theme of John Lennox’s book, while acknowledging the many beneficial uses of AI, will disabuse any naïveté regarding the potential for serious misuse of AI, and especially AGI for surveillance, through concentration of power both political and economic.>> The second theme examines what it is to be human and from whence derives our moral sense. Understanding the answers to these questions determines our view of how far the development of the machine learning can or should proceed toward the making of a non-human human. Can machines make the moral choices inherent in independent, non-directed operation and if so, how?>> Thirdly, Lennox invites those who dismiss Christian belief to put aside their disbelief for a few minutes and give him a fair hearing. He lays out the evidence for the truth and accuracy of many biblical prophecies based on their subsequent fulfilment and then develops cogent reasons to consider whether the ways in which AI, in particular AGI, may be part of the coming fulfilment of the the prophecies in Revelation. At its lowest level this ought to be of interest to any open minded thinker. For many it will probably be completely new information. For the Christian believer, this is not a counsel of despair or fear, but a challenge to engage courageously, so that those who operate the myriad surveillance systems will see life being lived Christianly.I needed to read this book twice in order to try to have some grasp of its wide ranging thought provoking content before reviewing it. It repaid the effort. I commend it highly as a really significant contribution to debate in the public square surrounding the implications of the growing dominance of information technology in all our lives both physically and spiritually.

Very disappointing. Started off ok but became increasingly obsessed with religion as the book went on with more and more Bible quotations. Not what I was expecting.

A must read

All what we are doing is improving machine capabilities, it is wrong to call that inteligence, by doing that we are freeing ourselves to perform more creative and fulfilling tasks.

What a brilliantly written book. Yet another winner from John C. Lennox.