Godly Dragon Ramblings: The Machines are Taking Over

Technology truly is a terrifying thing. I say that as someone who grew up loving electronics. When I was a kid, my generation had computers and video games to be entertained by. Unlike previous generations who played with toys and went to play outside to entertain themselves. To this day, I still use technology to create awesome things. Like videos for my ministry and making blog posts of all sorts of media. It's as if we can't live without technology, because of how we rely on it to get information with the click of a button, and to reach out to people who are all the way on the other side of the world. And to stream all of our favorite movies and TV Shows in an instant. And play online games.

Now that as I am continuing to grow older, I realized something. Technology is advancing at a fast rate. The human race has accomplished many things technologically that were never thought to be possible. But do you ever think that technology is perhaps advancing too fast? I believe the proof is right in front of us.

Last year, there was controversial talk about how McDonalds would create electronic kiosks that would taker customers' orders, which would replace human workers with automated technology. Robots, if you will. And that put a scary thought into my head about how robotic artificial intelligence could possible outsmart humanity and rule the world.

There are some popular movies out there with this idea about robots outsmarting humans and ruling over them. Perhaps you remember Syndrome and  his Omnidroid from The Incredibles. Syndrome lured other superheroes to his island to have them fight the Omnidroid. Many supers died fighting it so that Syndrome could perfect it and turn it into a weapon only he can defeat. But his plan backfired on him when the Omnidroid got smart enough to wonder why it had to take orders from Syndrome. And so, the Omnidroid betrayed its master and went on a rampage through the city.

Another animated feature that comes to mind is the film Wall-E, where earth is so polluted that the earth is inhabitable. So humans are forced to live in space. Where all their needs and entertainment are provided by robots and technology. No exercise. Just laying there in chairs, being fed to death.

Now let's talk about androids. Androids are indeed becoming possible, as we've seen in Saudi Arabia. There were news about an AI robot named Sophia, which has been declared a citizen by Saudi Arabia. Some believe that robots are capable of having feelings and a conscience. Just like how we have a system of complicated organs that's run by energy and blood, robots too have a complicated system and power source. And that just because the way we function differs doesn't mean that robots don't have feelings.

However, there is a problem with this. Humanity is created in the image of God. And as much as we have tried to play God and create life ourselves, we simply can't replicate it because we are the creation. And so to try to create life out of androids is to create only fake life. "Life" that is not real. "Life" that is not really alive. Only the illusion that it's alive. And yet it is something so smart that it could possibly outsmart humanity and take over our society as we know it.

So now with this in mind, perhaps we should think twice before we get caught up in technology. It could very well become an idol, and could very well rule over us. And there is also no doubt that when the antichrist rises up and rears his ugly face, he will use advanced technology as the means of spreading his mark. But should I feel like talking more about the antichrist, that will be a topic for another day.

Thanks for listening to this fourth rambling. And I hope it gave you all a lot to think about. God bless everyone!