The Irony of AI

V. Hugh Lewis II/Jefferson Jimplecute

So I like music, but am not what one would call a “Music Guy.” I know this because Darla tells me, and anyone who asks what I think about music, that I’m “not a music guy.”

On page 5 of this edition, my  son, Atticus talks about another AI generated song/album/performer and his dislike of them. 

The point he brings up this week is about out the Billboard Top 100 ranking is on the Gospel chart and how the album, which is completely AI generated, is titled “Faithful Soul.” He finds it ironic that AI generated something that arguably doesn’t have a soul.

I’d argue, that he’s right, in the traditional sense of the term. But maybe overlooking some of the finer points of the definition.

“No, computers do not have a soul in the traditional sense, as a soul is a concept tied to consciousness, emotion, and spirituality that is not present in a machine made of physical components like circuits and processors. While artificial intelligence can be programmed to mimic human intelligence and behavior, this is a simulation and not a true, conscious experience or a spiritual soul. The question of whether an AI can have a soul is a complex topic debated in philosophy, AI, and religion, with some views based on the belief that a soul is a divine gift to humans only, while others consider the possibility of a soul emerging from sufficiently advanced, conscious AI, notes the University of Advancing Technology blog.”

I turned to my friend, “That Jew” as he told me to call him, and asked the question, “Can AI have a soul?”

He told me his family had this very discussion recently, and determined that “only the person behind it giving it prompts has a soul,” and “if it is being generated by computer, then a computer does not have a soul, and therefore cannot be in tune with the Holy Spirit.” So, according to him, “if a person created a praise and worship song strictly through AI, there is no worship behind it.”

This has been a philosophy debate for decades and the focus of a number of Sci-Fi books and movies. Both of the latter usually end badly for mankind.

The soul is a complex thing and is best left in the philosophy realm but this does add to the discussion on when is a computer not just a computer? 

There are lots of legal, ethical, and moral arguments to be made – on both sides of the question. And none of us will live to see an answer.

But at what point do we start recognizing AI as more than something that is just a tool?

It depends on how we begin the discussion on what is AI. Local AI specialist Stephen Pullum points out that we’ve been using AI for decades, just never calling it AI until recently. He sites things as simple as the automated banking systems to get balances, etc., as one of the earlier examples of AI.

We reference things as having a soul—especially music—but because it moves us in some way. So it’s not out of the question, or unreasonable, to look at something produced by AI to move us and influence us, hopefully in ways that move us closer to the divine in our everyday lives.

So if a song, regardless of who or what created it, moves us to be better people, do we really care how it was created? But we should recognize the difference for clarity sake.

I completely agree that today, AI doesn’t have a soul, and for it to create a Gospel album that makes the Top 100 chart is pretty ironic. But we should all look at the things we do and say everyday and always work to be better – before AI comes and replaces us all.