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Dr David Barstow: “The future with artificial intelligence is very uncertain, and we will get there very quickly”

Gary Lloyd | Oct 13,26 | 01:44 EST

Technology

Dr David Barstow is a ruling elder at First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis, Oregon, (US) and a member of the Faith and Science Working Group of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Commission of the Churches on Health and Healing. Barstow earned a PhD in artificial intelligence at Stanford 50 years ago, so he has seen the field grow from an obscure academic discipline to a rapidly changing technology that will have dramatic effects on society and the planet.

What most concerns you today regarding AI? Dr Barstow highlights two main concerns: uncertainty and urgency. He emphasizes that the future of humanity with AI is unknown, presenting a mix of potential good and bad outcomes without clarity on the overall balance. The rapid and accelerating pace of AI's development creates urgency, as near-term human actions will dictate the long-term future. He expresses concern about whether global society possesses the collective capacity to establish control over AI, hoping for a positive outcome but fearing the negative if control is not achieved. What most excites you? Dr Barstow is most excited about AI's potential to dramatically impact public health and education. He believes AI's ability to replicate expertise could make medical knowledge widely available, thereby significantly reducing global inequities in public health. Similarly, AI's capacity for personalization can adapt to individual learning needs, enabling online tutors to assist children worldwide and decrease educational disparities. He is personally working on a project utilizing AI, called a 'CareDouble,' an AI avatar to support family caregivers of dementia patients by being present when human caregivers cannot, with promising initial results. Why should churches—particularly at the congregational level—get involved? Churches should get involved with AI for three reasons: member interest, obligation, and opportunity. Firstly, church members are eager to discuss AI, especially its ethical implications (good/bad uses, impact on children, AI arms race), making churches ideal venues for such conversations. Secondly, churches have an obligation to prepare their members for the substantial societal effects of AI, whether positive or negative. Thirdly, it presents an opportunity; with the World Council of Churches representing six hundred million Christians, reaching out to members can mobilize a strong moral force to advocate for human dignity in the age of AI. An online version of a presentation, 'Talking with AI about Faith,' is available in multiple languages for interested churches.

What most concerns you today regarding AI?

Dr Barstow highlights two main concerns: uncertainty and urgency. He emphasizes that the future of humanity with AI is unknown, presenting a mix of potential good and bad outcomes without clarity on the overall balance. The rapid and accelerating pace of AI's development creates urgency, as near-term human actions will dictate the long-term future. He expresses concern about whether global society possesses the collective capacity to establish control over AI, hoping for a positive outcome but fearing the negative if control is not achieved.

What most excites you?

Dr Barstow is most excited about AI's potential to dramatically impact public health and education. He believes AI's ability to replicate expertise could make medical knowledge widely available, thereby significantly reducing global inequities in public health. Similarly, AI's capacity for personalization can adapt to individual learning needs, enabling online tutors to assist children worldwide and decrease educational disparities. He is personally working on a project utilizing AI, called a 'CareDouble,' an AI avatar to support family caregivers of dementia patients by being present when human caregivers cannot, with promising initial results.

Why should churches—particularly at the congregational level—get involved?

Churches should get involved with AI for three reasons: member interest, obligation, and opportunity. Firstly, church members are eager to discuss AI, especially its ethical implications (good/bad uses, impact on children, AI arms race), making churches ideal venues for such conversations. Secondly, churches have an obligation to prepare their members for the substantial societal effects of AI, whether positive or negative. Thirdly, it presents an opportunity; with the World Council of Churches representing six hundred million Christians, reaching out to members can mobilize a strong moral force to advocate for human dignity in the age of AI. An online version of a presentation, 'Talking with AI about Faith,' is available in multiple languages for interested churches.