Emergent Technologies and the Church of Jesus Christ: A Deeper Understanding

Emergent technologies have revolutionized various industries, including construction, communication, and transportation. In recent years, these advancements have also contributed to the spread of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every corner of the globe. One of the latest tools being utilized for this purpose is artificial intelligence (AI).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recognizes the potential of AI in furthering its mission of salvation and exaltation. With this in mind, the Church has established a set of guiding principles for the responsible use of AI. These principles were introduced by Elder Gerrit W. Gong and Elder John C. Pingree to the Church’s employees worldwide on March 13, 2024.

One of the core principles is the commitment to using AI as a means to support, rather than replace, the connection between God and His children. The Church aims to employ AI in positive and uplifting ways, always upholding its core values, ethics, and standards.

Transparency is another crucial aspect outlined in the guiding principles. The Church recognizes the importance of making it clear when individuals are interacting with artificial intelligence. Additionally, whenever content created with AI could be misunderstood or misleading, proper attribution will be provided.

The Church’s use of AI also prioritizes privacy and security. Measures are in place to ensure the safeguarding of sacred and personal information, while compliance with both Church policies and applicable laws is a given.

Accountability is paramount in the Church’s approach to AI. Regular testing and review processes are implemented to ensure accuracy, truthfulness, and compliance with established standards. The Church is committed to using AI wisely and effectively in its various endeavors.

These guiding principles not only apply to the Church’s workforce but can also serve as a helpful resource for all members and friends of the Church as they navigate a world that is continually influenced by AI.

The Church of Jesus Christ sees numerous opportunities in the field of AI, such as utilizing it for family history work, accelerating and automating processes, and leveraging its potential for language translation and interpretation. Additionally, generative AI can assist Latter-day Saints in finding current and accurate information from authorized sources, providing natural language queries and prompts.

While embracing the potential of AI, Elder Gerrit W. Gong acknowledges the potential risks associated with the technology. One concern, in particular, is the rise of deepfakes, which involve the malicious use of someone’s identity. Elder Gong emphasizes the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and trusted sources to discern truth from falsehood.

According to Elder Gong, intelligence is defined as “light and truth,” as stated in Doctrine and Covenants 93:36. He emphasizes the irreplaceable role of revelation and discernment in determining truth. Wisdom, gained through knowledge, experience, and judgment, is another vital factor in navigating the complexities of life.

In a world where countless voices vie for attention, placing our trust in trusted sources of truth becomes crucial. Elder Gong points to the Holy Ghost, scriptures, words of the prophets, and the Church’s authoritative website, ChurchofJesusChrist.org, as anchors in discerning truth.

The Church remains committed to addressing deceitful content through official channels as needed. It also cautions its employees and service missionaries against oversaturating Church members with excessive audio and visual content. The Church emphasizes that its primary purpose is to provide God’s truth, rather than being solely an information provider.

Elder Gong concludes with an optimistic outlook, believing that the Church can navigate the use of AI tools wisely and effectively while protecting its members and friends from deception. He encourages Church employees and missionaries to embrace the opportunities presented by AI and apply its principles in advancing the sacred work of the Lord.

FAQ:

Q: What are the guiding principles for the Church’s use of AI?
A: The guiding principles include commitments to supporting the connection between God and His children, maintaining transparency, ensuring privacy and security, prioritizing accountability, and using AI in accordance with Church policies and applicable laws.

Q: How does the Church leverage AI?
A: The Church sees potential in AI for various purposes such as family history work, accelerating processes, automating tasks, language translation, and interpretation. Additionally, AI can assist in finding accurate information from authorized sources.

Q: How does the Church address the risks associated with AI?
A: The Church emphasizes the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and trusted sources to discern truth from falsehood. It also remains committed to addressing deceitful content through official channels.

Q: What role does the Holy Ghost play in discerning truth?
A: The Church teaches that the Holy Ghost bears witness to truth. While AI may provide information, the Holy Ghost’s confirmation is essential in determining the authenticity of truth.

Sources:
churchofjesuschrist.org

FAQ:

Q: What are the guiding principles for the Church’s use of AI?
A: The guiding principles include commitments to supporting the connection between God and His children, maintaining transparency, ensuring privacy and security, prioritizing accountability, and using AI in accordance with Church policies and applicable laws.

Q: How does the Church leverage AI?
A: The Church sees potential in AI for various purposes such as family history work, accelerating processes, automating tasks, language translation, and interpretation. Additionally, AI can assist in finding accurate information from authorized sources.

Q: How does the Church address the risks associated with AI?
A: The Church emphasizes the importance of relying on the Holy Spirit, wisdom, and trusted sources to discern truth from falsehood. It also remains committed to addressing deceitful content through official channels.

Q: What role does the Holy Ghost play in discerning truth?
A: The Church teaches that the Holy Ghost bears witness to truth. While AI may provide information, the Holy Ghost’s confirmation is essential in determining the authenticity of truth.

Definitions:

– Artificial Intelligence (AI): Refers to the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as speech recognition, problem-solving, and decision-making.

– Deepfakes: Refers to the creation of manipulated or synthetic media content, typically using AI algorithms, to depict events or people that never occurred or manipulated presentations of people or events.

– Revelation: Divine communication of truth or knowledge from God, often considered a source of guidance and inspiration in religious contexts.

– Doctrine and Covenants: A book of scripture containing revelations, teachings, and commandments received by latter-day prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Related Links:

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Official website of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where more information about the church and its teachings can be found.

The source of the article is from the blog scimag.news

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