In the optimistic vision of many people, artificial intelligence will make us like gods. If that seems like hyperbole, listen to AGI (artificial general intelligence) enthusiasts’ own words. Last November, Masayoshi Son (CEO, SoftBank) said, “Artificial super intelligence will evolve into Super Wisdom and contribute to the happiness of all humanity.”

In October of 2024, Demis Hassabis (CEO, Google DeepMind) predicted that AGI will emerge within ten years and, among other fantastical things, will “cure all diseases.” In January, he upgraded this projection to five years.

Sam Altman (CEO, OpenAI) spoke of his company’s contribution to “the glorious future.” The AI Action Summit in Paris, Dario Amodei (CEO of the AI company Anthropic) portended that by “2026 or 2027,” we will likely have AI systems comparable to a “country of geniuses in a datacenter.”

A.G. Elrod, a Christian who researches AI, commented: “This technology may well benefit humanity in incredible ways… But Christians [alone] are uniquely positioned to… speak to the need for faith in the changeless God who is ‘the same yesterday and today and forever’ (Heb. 13:8). We are positioned to offer the only true solution to life’s uncertainty… Our identity, hope, and future belong ultimately and only to Christ. Rightly engaging with technology—avoiding the open idolatry of some AGI boosters today—requires us to honor the God who liberates us from bondage to every idol, ancient or modern, and invites us into a Canaan of genuine freedom and flourishing.”