Forbes Magazine Australia had this to say about Davie Fogarty back in October: Davie Fogarty is perhaps Australia’s most well-known young retail mogul, thanks to the viral success of his sleepwear brand, The Oodie. Now, with $600 million in sales, a coaching business, a Shopify course and a seat on Shark Tank Australia, he’s on his way to becoming a household name.
He might not be a household name in the US at the moment, but as a young business man, new seat on Aussie Shark Tank, and obviously intelligent, his opinion still holds weight. That is why he caught my attention when I read one of his posts on X, that is cited in a recent article about him. https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/breakpoint-daily-commentary/the-bible-ai-and-the-fight-to-preserve-what-makes-us-human.html#google_vignette
His X post reads as follows: “Reading books is now a waste of time. AI reasoning models can distill key insights and tell you exactly how to implement them based on everything they know about you.” https://x.com/daviefogarty/status/1893528367607226624
“Reading is a waste of time”? All of my previous English, Literature and History teachers just went by my eyes in a flash! What a horrible thing to say to an impressionable generation looking for an excuse not to read (like I did when I was their age). Is this what Elon was warning us about in the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence? I don’t think we are at the point in time where Arnold is looking for John Connor, but I do believe that this type of thinking is why we need to be cautious of this great new tool. Yes, I love the fact that I can put all our dirty dishes in a box in our kitchen, hit a few buttons and they come out clean. I am so thankful for those two machines that take our dirty clothes and wash and dry them without a washboard and clothes line. But in both examples, if the power were to go off, I still know how to get the same outcome without the use of technology. I don’t think we can do that with allowing AI to read FOR us!
Spending more years in school than I care to admit, I am all for tools that make the job of research and study easier. I am very thankful I no longer have to type each sermon on a manual typewriter. I am forever thankful to the Lord and the men that came before me that I have access to scripture4all.org and digital commentaries and pastor opinions on specific Scripture passages. But if the power went out on Saturday, I still have the ability to prepare for Sunday by candle light and the printed Word of God! (I still use the print version anyway. Don’t send me any emails). My point is this, these modern “tools” do not take the place for study, meditation and inspiration from the Holy Spirit. Same goes for any form of taking the human element out of a subject. AI is only as good as the human that designed it. We bring all of our preconceived ideas and prejudices to any information we encounter. It is the human element that helps digest and apply information. If a computer is telling us what is important, and heaven forbid, what to believe, we find ourselves at the mercy of the code.
I had a great philosophy professor at seminary. One day a student stopped him during a lecture and says something to the point of “you have told us what all these great thinkers believe, what do you believe?” To his great credit he responded, “I will never tell you what I believe about these things in the context of this class because if I do, you will not wrestle with the material and will only respond with what you think I want to hear on your exams. The whole purpose of this class is to get you to wrestle with what is out there and make up your own mind.”
Maybe that is one of the things that is wrong with the Church today. Humans are prone to follow the path of least resistance. Not often, but every now and again, you will encounter someone who questions and thinks outside the box. Church History shows that they normally imprison those folks or kill them. But the Bible challenges us to make up our own minds about Jesus. In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks that question we all have to wrestle with, “But who do you say that I am?” No AI program can answer that eternal question for you. When you stand before the Lord, as we all will, “who do you say I am” can only be answered from the personal perspective. If you haven’t read the Book, walked the path and established the relationship, you will not be able to say for sure yourself.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you...Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:11 & 105
Serving the Savior,
Bro. Jonathan
He might not be a household name in the US at the moment, but as a young business man, new seat on Aussie Shark Tank, and obviously intelligent, his opinion still holds weight. That is why he caught my attention when I read one of his posts on X, that is cited in a recent article about him. https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/breakpoint-daily-commentary/the-bible-ai-and-the-fight-to-preserve-what-makes-us-human.html#google_vignette
His X post reads as follows: “Reading books is now a waste of time. AI reasoning models can distill key insights and tell you exactly how to implement them based on everything they know about you.” https://x.com/daviefogarty/status/1893528367607226624
“Reading is a waste of time”? All of my previous English, Literature and History teachers just went by my eyes in a flash! What a horrible thing to say to an impressionable generation looking for an excuse not to read (like I did when I was their age). Is this what Elon was warning us about in the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence? I don’t think we are at the point in time where Arnold is looking for John Connor, but I do believe that this type of thinking is why we need to be cautious of this great new tool. Yes, I love the fact that I can put all our dirty dishes in a box in our kitchen, hit a few buttons and they come out clean. I am so thankful for those two machines that take our dirty clothes and wash and dry them without a washboard and clothes line. But in both examples, if the power were to go off, I still know how to get the same outcome without the use of technology. I don’t think we can do that with allowing AI to read FOR us!
Spending more years in school than I care to admit, I am all for tools that make the job of research and study easier. I am very thankful I no longer have to type each sermon on a manual typewriter. I am forever thankful to the Lord and the men that came before me that I have access to scripture4all.org and digital commentaries and pastor opinions on specific Scripture passages. But if the power went out on Saturday, I still have the ability to prepare for Sunday by candle light and the printed Word of God! (I still use the print version anyway. Don’t send me any emails). My point is this, these modern “tools” do not take the place for study, meditation and inspiration from the Holy Spirit. Same goes for any form of taking the human element out of a subject. AI is only as good as the human that designed it. We bring all of our preconceived ideas and prejudices to any information we encounter. It is the human element that helps digest and apply information. If a computer is telling us what is important, and heaven forbid, what to believe, we find ourselves at the mercy of the code.
I had a great philosophy professor at seminary. One day a student stopped him during a lecture and says something to the point of “you have told us what all these great thinkers believe, what do you believe?” To his great credit he responded, “I will never tell you what I believe about these things in the context of this class because if I do, you will not wrestle with the material and will only respond with what you think I want to hear on your exams. The whole purpose of this class is to get you to wrestle with what is out there and make up your own mind.”
Maybe that is one of the things that is wrong with the Church today. Humans are prone to follow the path of least resistance. Not often, but every now and again, you will encounter someone who questions and thinks outside the box. Church History shows that they normally imprison those folks or kill them. But the Bible challenges us to make up our own minds about Jesus. In Matthew 16:15 Jesus asks that question we all have to wrestle with, “But who do you say that I am?” No AI program can answer that eternal question for you. When you stand before the Lord, as we all will, “who do you say I am” can only be answered from the personal perspective. If you haven’t read the Book, walked the path and established the relationship, you will not be able to say for sure yourself.
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you...Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:11 & 105
Serving the Savior,
Bro. Jonathan
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