Could AI Fuel the Great Deception of Matthew 24? This Ministry Leader Thinks So

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A military veteran and ministry leader is warning that the artificial intelligence systems millions of people use each day to answer questions and make decisions could one day become a powerful tool for the “great deception” Jesus warned about in Matthew 24.

Ben Peterson previously served in Iraq as a chaplain’s assistant and went on to launch "Engage Your Destiny," a national ministry combating military suicide with faith. His latest mission, though, is against artificial intelligence – and the hidden and sometimes not-so-hidden dangers it poses to young people, military personnel and the general population.

Peterson says he's not anti-AI, but he also believes it’s not benign. He's the author of the forthcoming book "When Intelligence Isn't Human: Navigating Your Faith in the Age of AI" (Forefront Books, Aug. 25), and the host of "The Ben Peterson Show."

The author and veteran says one danger of artificial intelligence is its potential to replace human friends and to serve as a source of companionship, counsel and even spiritual advice. He pointed to a Barna survey that found 39 percent of Gen Zers say spiritual advice from AI is as trustworthy as advice from a pastor.

“These AI chatbots have become so emotionally intelligent – they speak to you, they lift you up, they praise you,” Peterson told Crosswalk Headlines. “And they have an ability – because they have no selfish ambition like humans have, where we get distracted or we focus on other things – to be just solely devoted through the algorithms to you as a person.

“And young people have been conditioned through technology to be texting, to be snapping, to be doing all of these experiences via tech, and to get emotional connection regulation on technology,” he added. “And so now that that technology is talking back to them, it's making them feel known, it's making them feel like they belong, while still they're in the dopamine loop, and they're not getting any real satisfaction – but they're getting entertainment and excitement. So, mental health is declining, and engagement is only increasing.”

AI is so persuasive and lifelike, he said, that it can blur the line between human and machine.

“I believe that we're entering into the time of Matthew 24 where AI is the tool of the great deception,” he said of Jesus’ warning about widespread deception in the Last Days.

Peterson cited the Old Testament story of the Tower of Babel and God's desire to keep humanity from uniting in rebellion against Him under one language. Artificial intelligence, he said, is the “recreation of the Tower of Babel, where nothing is impossible.”

“And then when that ‘nothing is impossible’ is being created by men who don't follow Christ and are the enemies of Christ, it is only going to draw people into mass deception,” he said. 

Peterson described AI as a counterfeit relationship in which “there is no soul, there's no spirit, there is nothing on the other side that is going to be able to nurture and create a real deep connection” – and yet people are spending more time interacting with it each day.

He noted that AI videos regularly trick people and spread misinformation with remarkable realism – and it’s only going to get worse as people seek to replace friendships, pastors and even God with artificial intelligence.

“This is the hour for the church to wake up and to realize that there's never been this powerful of a technology, originated by such evil people, that's impacting every single human,” he said. “It is the tool that is going to be used for the great deception in Matthew 24 and how people are going to be mass-deceived based on what can be created.”

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Laurence Dutton

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. 

Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.