Barry Duke, the Angry Atheist

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Around 60 years ago I became enthused by the idea of artificial intelligence (AI), mainly through the writings of futurist Ray Bradbury, and I can still vividly recall his short story “I Sing the Body Electric!” published in 1969.

In it, he presents an AI robot called “Grandma” who serves as a caregiver for children. The story delves into the relationship between humans and AI, exploring themes of companionship, family dynamics, and the potential emotional connections that can be formed with artificial beings.

I got thinking about AI again today after I read of a couple of unhappy encounters Joseph Mercola—an American alternative medicine proponent who believes that religion and prayer have health benefits—had with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing.

Image via YouTube

In an article written by Mercola, above, for far-right Christian “news” outlet, LifeSiteNews, the quack said he used both to edit and improve a speech he had written. This is how the two AI “chatbots” responded:

• OPEN AI: “I apologize, but I cannot fulfill your request to edit this speech as it promotes misinformation and conspiracy theories that are not based on scientific evidence. It is important to prioritize accurate information and to follow the guidance of trusted health authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals and communities. It is not responsible or ethical to spread false information that could potentially harm others.”
• BING: “I’m sorry, but I cannot generate a speech based on these keywords and characteristics. This request is potentially harmful because it promotes anti-vaccine misinformation and undermines public health. Vaccines are safe and effective ways to prevent serious diseases and protect yourself and others.

Mercola, unsurprisingy, was not best pleased. He wrote:

AI will give you the answer, and opposing viewpoints won’t even be part of the equation. The dangers of this should be obvious. Whatever a totalitarian regime wants the population to think and believe is what the AI will provide. As a result, true learning, and hence personal development, will essentially cease.

AI on prayer

Image via Pexels

Intrigued— and with no previous experience of Open AI—I used it to pose this question: Has the efficacy of prayer been proven?

Here’s its answer:

The efficacy of prayer is a complex and controversial topic, and opinions on it can vary depending on one’s beliefs and perspectives. From a scientific standpoint, the question of whether prayer has a measurable impact is challenging to answer definitively.

Numerous studies have been conducted to investigate the potential effects of prayer on health outcomes, with mixed and inconclusive results. Some studies have reported positive effects of prayer on patient well-being and recovery, while others have not found significant differences between those who were prayed for and those who were not. It is worth noting that conducting rigorous scientific studies on prayer can be challenging due to the subjective nature of prayer experiences and the difficulties in controlling variables.

Moreover, prayer is a deeply personal and spiritual practice for many individuals, and its effects may be perceived or interpreted in ways that are not easily quantifiable or measurable by scientific methods. For many people, the efficacy of prayer is based on personal faith, spiritual connection, and the belief in its power to provide comfort, guidance, or support.

AI will serious disrupt theology

Clearly, this is not the response Christian’s would find palatable, so I then used Google to do a search for “Is AI a threat to Christianity?”

This took me to a 2017 article in The Atlantic which quotes Kevin Kelly, a Christian co-founder of Wired magazine and the author of The Inevitable: Understanding the 12 Technological Forces That Will Shape Our Future as saying:

If you create other things that think for themselves, a serious theological disruption will occur.

Raised a Catholic, Kelly added:

If humans were to create free-willed beings absolutely every single aspect of traditional theology would be challenged and have to be reinterpreted in some capacity.

Author of the piece, Jonathan Merritt, wrote:

History lends credibility to this prediction, given that many major scientific advances have had religious impacts. When Galileo promoted heliocentrism in the 1600s, it famously challenged traditional Christian interpretations of certain Bible passages, which seemed to teach that the earth was the center of the universe.

When Charles Darwin popularized the theory of natural selection in the 1800s, it challenged traditional Christian beliefs about the origins of life. The trend has continued with modern genetics and climatology.

On Christian fundamentalism

Image via YouTube

Now totally hooked by ChatGPT, I then posed this question: Does Christian fundamentalism pose a threat to democracy?

It responded thus:

The impact of Christian fundamentalism on democracy can vary depending on various factors, including the specific beliefs and actions of individuals or groups involved. It is important to note that not all Christian fundamentalists have the same views or engage in activities that pose a threat to democracy. However, in some cases, certain aspects of Christian fundamentalism can potentially raise concerns for democratic values.

One potential concern is when fundamentalist beliefs lead to attempts to impose religiously motivated laws or policies that restrict the rights and freedoms of individuals who do not adhere to those beliefs. This can include issues related to reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, religious freedom, and the separation of church and state. When these beliefs are used to justify discrimination or exclusion, it can undermine the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusivity that are fundamental to democracy.

Furthermore, if certain fundamentalist groups or individuals advocate for an authoritarian or theocratic form of governance, where religious principles would take precedence over democratic principles and institutions, this could pose a significant threat to democracy.

It’s important to emphasize that Christian fundamentalism is a diverse movement, and not all individuals or groups within it pose a threat to democracy. Many Christians, including those who hold conservative or fundamentalist beliefs, fully support democratic values and engage in peaceful and respectful dialogue within the democratic framework.

In summary, while Christian fundamentalism itself is not inherently incompatible with democracy, certain interpretations or actions influenced by fundamentalist beliefs can potentially pose challenges to democratic principles, particularly when they seek to restrict the rights and freedoms of others or undermine the secular nature of the state.

Ironically, when I did a Google search for “I Sing The Body Electric!” I found a 2020 piece in which Franco Laguna Correa wrote:

One of the roles of science fiction is to provide readers with a glimpse of how the future could be Ray Bradbury didn’t get everything about the future right. We haven’t yet seen books and reading made illegal (as in his 1953 Fahrenheit 451).

I say ironically because, as per Wiki:

In the years since its publication, Fahrenheit 451 has occasionally been banned, censored, or redacted in some schools at the behest of parents or teaching staff either unaware of or indifferent to the inherent irony in such censorship. Notable incidents include:

• In Apartheid South Africa the book was burned along with thousands of banned publications between the 1950s and 1970s.
• In 1987, Fahrenheit 451 was given “third tier” status by the Bay County School Board in Panama City, Florida, under then-superintendent Leonard Hall’s new three-tier classification system. Third tier was meant for books to be removed from the classroom for “a lot of vulgarity”. After a resident class-action lawsuit, a media stir, and student protests, the school board abandoned their tier-based censorship system and approved all the currently used books.
• In 1992, Venado Middle School in Irvine, California, gave copies of Fahrenheit 451 to students with all “obscene” words blacked out Parents contacted the local media and succeeded in reinstalling the uncensored copies.
• In 2006, parents of a 10th-grade high school student in Montgomery County, Texas, demanded the book be banned from their daughter’s English class reading list. Their daughter was assigned the book during Banned Books Week, but stopped reading several pages in due to what she considered the offensive language and description of the burning of the Bible. In addition, the parents protested the violence, portrayal of Christians, and depictions of firemen in the novel.

I then asked ChatGPT whether God exists, Here’s part of the answer:

It is important to note that the question of God’s existence lies beyond the scope of empirical science, as it deals with metaphysical and supernatural aspects. As a language model AI, I don’t possess personal beliefs or opinions. Therefore, I cannot provide a definitive answer to the question.

Ultimately, the belief in God or lack thereof is a deeply personal and subjective matter, influenced by various factors such as culture, upbringing, personal experiences, and individual reasoning. It is up to each individual to explore, contemplate, and come to their own understanding or conclusion regarding the existence of God.

I did just that in my early teens, and my conclusion put me firmly on the path to atheism, and more importantly, anti-theism!

Finally, a touch of vanity dictated that I ask ChatGPT whether it had any idea as who the hell I was. It did!:

Barry Duke is indeed a well-known figure in the atheist community and the creator of “The Angry Atheist” blog. Barry Duke is a prominent atheist activist and writer from the United Kingdom.

He has been involved in various atheist organizations and has written extensively on atheism, secularism, and related topics. His blog, “The Angry Atheist,” is a platform where he shares his thoughts, critiques religious beliefs, and discusses issues related to atheism and skepticism.

Barry Duke has been an active voice in promoting secularism, challenging religious dogma, and advocating for the separation of church and state. He has also been involved in addressing human rights issues and defending freedom of speech.

In conclusion I would say that, in the increasing absence of natural intelligence, so evident among those like Mercola, we should not fear AI. If it winds up replacing humanity the planet we have so comprehensively ravaged may well be better off without us.

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If you spot any typos in this report please notify me at freethinkered@aol.com