Amidst growing concerns about the implications of artificial intelligence (AI), an organization dedicated to exposing Christian persecution and advocating for believers globally has raised an alarm about the potential harm this emerging technology could inflict on oppressed Christians.

David Curry, the President and CEO of Global Christian Relief, discussed with CBN’s Faithwire the alarming ways in which repressive regimes, terrorists, and other malicious actors might exploit AI. China serves as a prime example, where AI is already being used to monitor the movements of the population. The Chinese government employs a social scoring system that tracks church attendance, enabling them to prohibit children under the age of 18 from attending church. If attendance cannot be prevented, individuals are penalized through their social scores.

While this practice is already underway in China, Curry expressed concern about the future ramifications as technological manipulations continue to evolve. The organization aims to draw attention to the potential effects of AI technologies, particularly the biases and assumptions embedded in predictive modeling, on religious faith. Their immediate focus is on the persecution of Christians, monitoring Christian activities, and the censorship of worship services and pastors’ online content, all of which can be impacted by AI.

One of Curry’s main concerns is the rise of “deep fakes,” which are increasingly realistic videos that depict fabricated actions or events. He fears that such videos, created using AI, could pose unique threats to the persecuted church. Christians in many parts of the world already face severe consequences based on false accusations, and deep fakes could exacerbate their suffering and the associated dangers.

Curry also highlighted the fear surrounding autonomous weapon systems, which are designed to identify threats and make decisions independently. In Nigeria, terror groups have already demonstrated a level of sophistication in their use of technology to target Christians by cutting off their access to communication devices before launching attacks. Curry believes it is a short step from this to employing autonomous weapons to attack churches on Sundays. The extent of AI’s involvement in such scenarios is only beginning to be explored.

These concerns arise amidst ongoing debates about how social media platforms handle individuals expressing biblical values. Curry voiced broader concerns about censorship and the potential outright banning of such content on various platforms, exacerbating the challenges posed by AI and technology.

Curry emphasized the need for governments to enact laws that safeguard religious experiences from AI-driven attacks. He expressed apprehension that repressive countries like China are already ahead in blocking and circumventing such protections. He called on people of faith to exert pressure on their representatives to address these issues.

Furthermore, Curry encouraged Christians to consider creating platforms where believers cannot be banned and where they can openly express and practice their faith peacefully. He acknowledged that the biblical narrative challenges contemporary culture and warned that it may be banned on public platforms in the near future.

As AI continues to advance, Curry called for concerted efforts to pass protective legislation that safeguards religious minorities worldwide. He cautioned that in nations where ruling classes or terror groups seek to suppress Christian faith expression, they will leverage censorship, AI’s programming assumptions, predictive policing, and weaponry to make critical decisions. This situation demands urgent attention, as Curry predicts it may become the defining issue of our time within the next five to ten years.

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Date published: 10/06/2023
Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. Artwork from pixabay.com

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