No Soul Eater: The Role of AI in God's Creative World
Channel: Spooner Religion and Politics
Date: 2023-12-28

A response to this article:
https://www.theredhandfiles.com/chatgpt-making-things-faster-and-easier/

As visualized here:
https://youtu.be/_Pf4GmQY8Ow?si=k2akjTBdbfRubDpf
by @AfterSkool 

My visuals are all from Midjourney
Text of my response in collaboration with chat.openai.com (of course)
Ending musical sting composed with MuseScore, and available here:
https://musescore.com/user/79444597/scores/15022192

00:00 Introduction
A response to "ChatGPT: The Soul Eater - Nick Cave's Emotional Letter - Read by Stephen Fry"
Nick says,
"This struggle is the validating impulse that gives God’s world its intrinsic meaning."
Indeed, struggle plays a role in creation, but it's God's love and meticulous care that are foundational to both meaning and the motivation for struggle. The essence of our existence is rooted more in divine love than in mere effort. Recall too that God's act of creation is (present continuing tense) carried out by means of innumerable intermediaries infinitely inferior to Him in both nature and capacity. Dismissing lowly tools like ChatGPT in our creative work might be overlooking a divine pattern, where unity and collaboration with our inferiors are key.


00:52 Creative Struggle
Nick posits,
"ChatGPT rejects any notions of creative struggle."
On the contrary, ChatGPT is not a sentient entity making value judgments, but a tool designed to enhance the productivity of creative struggle. It doesn't negate the struggle inherent in creation but offers a means to navigate it more effectively. The human challenge of rejecting sloth, envy, and falsehood remains, irrespective of the tools at hand.


01:24 unconscious human spirit
Nick continues,
"It rejects that there is a collective, essential and unconscious human spirit underpinning our existence, connecting us all through our mutual striving."
Again, ChatGPT, being merely a sophisticated program, doesn't possess the capacity to accept or reject philosophical concepts. However, that rejection would be in alignment with the Catholic Church's teaching. It is the hyper-conscious divine Spirit of God that is the fundamental connector and energizer of productive human existence, not an 'unconscious human spirit.' We must discern truth from error by their relation to the Divine, and regardless of our own predilections.


02:17 Luddites and Terminology
Nick asserts that ChatGPT must be utterly rejected,
"...if he wants to continue calling himself a songwriter."
Beyond the shades of the Luddite fallacy, this point raises a debate over terminology. As 2 Timothy 2:14 cautions us against quarreling about words, we should focus on the essence rather than terminological debates. The real struggle is to ensure our creations are united with the truth, and not for the labels we assign to others or ourselves.


02:50 Idolatry
Nick believes,
"It is our striving that becomes the very essence of meaning."
Striving is crucial, but idolizing our creations or methods above the Creator mirrors the very self-deceit we strive to avoid, as warned in Romans 1:25. Caution against seeing ChatGPT as a 'false god' is valid; AI tools are creations of human intellect, not entities deserving of reverence or worship. However, we shouldn't idolize traditional creative methods either. Whether one uses tools like ChatGPT or not, the act of creation should be a means to an end, not an end in itself. Like fire, all tools, from the most primal to the most advanced, must be used with wisdom and discernment.


03:49 The Real Fight
Nick concludes,
"We are fighting for the very soul of the world."
Indeed Nick. Indeed!
This statement rightly emphasizes the gravity of our cultural and spiritual battles. However, it's essential to recognize that the real adversary in these struggles is not the tools or methods we use, but the falsehood and deceit that can pervade any medium. Satan, the prince of lies, finds fertile ground in divisions and conflicts, especially those rooted in false dichotomies. The choice between power tools and hand-tools, metaphorically speaking, is secondary; what truly matters is the purpose and intention behind their use. The true battle should be against the spread of idolatry and falsehood, irrespective of the means or medium through which they are conveyed. Let us then unite in the pursuit of veracity and right worship, regardless of whether our tools are based in tradition or technology. By doing so, we safeguard the 'soul of the world' from the genuine threats of deception and bitter envy.