Opus 2025-607: It’s Everywhere

So is nitrogen and an atmosphere of pure nitrogen will also kill you.

Since I had the opportunity to preach recently, I was caught by the click bait that announced that the majority of pastors are using AI.  The article was not near as damning as I expected, and I understood how they could have honest pastors answering the question with a yes, depending on how the questions asked.

What made it stand out to me was that in my research I would not say I used AI, however, if you’re really honest, you admit that it’s almost impossible to look anything up on the computer without being forced to at least read the first couple lines of an AI presentation.  You all know how that goes; anything you look up it starts off with an AI summary.  Then when I go down to different articles, many of those will start off with the AI summary, so the problem is avoiding it.

I don’t use Google search as much in sermon preparation.  I have Bible study apps that help me with my word searches and investigations into the Greek and Hebrew.  I have actual books that also are used.  So I would say I don’t use AI, however, if I were totally honest, I would have to say that I had read some anytime I turned on the computer.

Recently, I was doing some research into using an air fryer.  I can’t remember exactly the question I asked, but when the response came up the first couple of offerings were from AI.  It’s everywhere.  Is it evil?  No, it’s a computer program.  The people who are programming it may be evil and the people who are prepping it and giving it the first spot in the search engines may be evil, but the AI itself is just the fast computer, so far.

I also thought it was amusing in reading the article that it talks about the burden of the pastors.  I think it was in regard to sermon preparation.  I’m sorry, I don’t feel a lot of sympathy.  I spent 10 years in full-time pastoral ministry.  I prepared a full sermon for Sunday morning, a full sermon for Sunday night, a midweek mini sermon, a Sunday school lesson and anything else that popped up.  Now, most pastors preach one sermon on Sunday morning and cry the blues at being overworked.  I’m wondering if the guy who claimed to have written the article was also using AI or whatever that other program is that everyone seems to love.  Or the pastors could be spending so much time brewing exotic coffees and teas that they don’t have time to study.

AI was not used in the writing of this post.

homo unius libri