Let’s talk about robots...

A few weeks ago, I attended a round table with a panel of experts, exploring a Christian response to artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.

My primary mission there was to observe and to learn. It was fascinating listening to attendees discuss their fears and hopes for the future. Robotics and AI is a massive subject and it is complicated, too. I suspect the daunting nature of the issue puts many people off. But what is clear is that robots and AI are set to play an increasingly prominent role in our lives. In turn, this will prompt huge questions about the value of work and what it means to be human.

The best and sharpest minds are being employed by global companies like Google and Microsoft to develop cutting-edge technology to enhance and expand things like data collection. An invasive surveillance of everyday life is going on and nearly all of us will be affected by it. Change is happening very, very quickly. For example, it is only 11 years since the first Apple iPhone, and new models come to market with increasing frequency. Just think about the enormous and myriad ways smartphones have changed our lives. Alexa, Android, Apple, iPads, tablets and so on are prominent in families and even among children. Did you know that Silicon Valley’s mantra is ‘move fast and break things’?