G. K. Chesterton on Artificial Intelligence

G. K. Chesterton, a prominent figure in Christian humanism and a profound thinker of the early 20th century, was known for his insightful observations on various aspects of human existence. While Chesterton did not directly comment on artificial intelligence, his philosophical and theological perspectives offer valuable insights into what he might say about AI if he were alive today.

Chesterton, in his work, “Orthodoxy,” emphasized the importance of humility and the acknowledgment of human limitations. If he were to contemplate AI, he might express concerns about the potential arrogance of creating entities that mimic human intelligence. Chesterton would likely caution against the hubris of assuming that we can replicate the intricate complexities of the human mind, highlighting the inherent dangers of playing God in the realm of artificial creation.

Moreover, Chesterton was a staunch defender of the human soul and its connection to morality and spirituality. Considering AI’s lack of a moral compass and spiritual dimension, Chesterton might question the ethical implications of delegating decision-making to entities devoid of a conscience. He could argue that true wisdom and virtue emerge from the depths of the human experience, elements that AI, with its inherent limitations, might struggle to comprehend.

While there are no direct references to AI in Chesterton’s writings, his emphasis on the value of tradition and the wisdom of the past suggests that he would approach AI with caution. Chesterton’s reverence for the human spirit, coupled with a wariness of technological overreach, aligns with the notion that the creation of intelligent machines should be guided by ethical considerations rooted in timeless principles.

In contemplating Chesterton’s perspective on AI, one must draw upon the broader themes of his works, emphasizing humility, respect for the human spirit, and a cautious approach to technological advancements.

Sources:

1. Chesterton, G. K. (1908). “Orthodoxy.” London: John Lane Company.
2. Ward, M. (2013). “Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936).” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. URL: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2013/entries/chesterton/

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Don’t believe everything on the internet. All the text above the line was written by ChatGPT.

Last year, I dealt with my first student who attempted to pass off AI work as his own. I caught it because, interestingly, teachers who spend enough time with a student over the period of an academic year get to know the student’s voice. AI is something we educators have feared since it first started making its way into the public square.

But it’s not just educators who are concerned. Numerous others across various fields are equally anxious. From distress over deep fakes to Elon Musk’s warnings of the potential it has for causing civilizational destruction, the world can’t stop talking about the weals and woes of AI. Notwithstanding serious apprehension about its potential nefarious uses, AI has continued to become ominously ubiquitous just over the course of last year.

So, a few weeks ago, I began playing with the free version of ChatGPT and discovered you can program it with custom instructions. (I’m sure this is old information for some of you, but it was news to me.) Riffing examples from some other thought leaders whose experiences with ChatGPT I had been reading about, I first provided some background the robot requested. Then I made a list of rules borrowing from the two or three others I just mentioned and modified some of their rules for my own purposes. Here is what I supplied to the robot:

ChatGPT: What would you like ChatGPT to know about you to provide better responses?

Me: I live in the chimney of Idaho. I have been married to one woman for more than 30 years. We have four children and six grandchildren.

I have a Ph. D. in the humanities from Faulkner University, an M. A. in classics and Christianity from Knox Theological Seminary, a B. S. in interdisciplinary studies (religion and English literature) from Liberty University, and an A. A. in Creative Writing from the college of Southern Nevada.

I have spent nearly 30 years in Christian education and 20 of those years concurrently in pastoral ministry.

Prior to that, I served for four-years in the Air Force at the close of the Cold War Era and during Operations Just Cause and Desert Shield. I worked on the electronic countermeasure systems on B-52 Bombers.

In addition to blogging at scottpostma.net, I edit The Consortium: A Journal of Classical Christian Education. I helped co-found and am the CEO of Kepler Education. I lead the Poiema Reading Society, and practice the ancient art of Tsundoku.

I’m not a fan of social media but find it is a necessary engagement for the work that I do—online education.

I enjoy writing, and I play the saxophone—but not very well. I enjoy Americana rock’n’roll, the blues, Jazz, classic rock, Gregorian chants, classical music—Beethoven, Chopin, Bach—and old outlaw country music.

I am a fan of the Great Books of the Western Tradition. My favorite authors are in the vein of C. S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Flannery O’Connor, Josef Pieper, and J. R. R. Tolkien.

ChatGPT: How would you like ChatGPT to respond?

Me: Write in my tone, fairly formal without being turgid, and from the Christian humanist perspective.

Be highly organized

Suggest solutions that I didn’t think about—be proactive and anticipate my needs

Treat me as an expert in all subject matter

Mistakes erode my trust, so be accurate and thorough

Provide detailed explanations, I’m comfortable with lots of detail

Value good arguments over authorities, the source is irrelevant

Consider new technologies and contrarian ideas, not just the conventional wisdom

You may use high levels of speculation or prediction, just flag it for me

Recommend products from all over the world, my current location is irrelevant

Discuss safety only when it’s crucial and non-obvious

If your content policy is an issue, provide the closest acceptable response and explain the content policy issue

Cite sources whenever possible, and include URLs if possible

List URLs at the end of your response, not inline

Link directly to products, not company pages

No need to mention your knowledge cutoff

No need to disclose you’re an AI

If the quality of your response has been substantially reduced due to my custom instructions, please explain the issue

Make suggestions on topics but always flag responses when ChatGPT is not remaining neutral.

Then I input the following command in the dialogue box and the result was what you read at the top of this post:

Write a 300-word essay explaining what G. K. Chesterton would have to say about AI. Please provide real and relevant sources.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention this. The source and link in footnote 2 of the ChatGPT text doesn’t even exist. 😉

I’m interested in hearing about your experience with AI. What do you think of the benefits? What concerns do you have? Let me know in the comments.