REXBURG, Idaho — In Could 2009, Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to young adults in a worldwide young grownup devotional concerning the blessings and risks of expertise in an deal with titled “Things as They Really Are.”
Fifteen years later, Elder Bednar once more recommended young adults about expertise throughout an identical worldwide devotional, constructing instantly off his authentic deal with.
He spoke on the potential impacts of artificial intelligence, the importance of ethical company and the significance of righteous work.
“The warning voice I raised in 2009 was earnest, emphatic and pressing, as a result of the expertise, perils and potentialities we had been discussing had been simply rising,” Elder Bednar stated. “That was then. The warning voice I elevate at this time is extra earnest, extra emphatic, and much more pressing, as a result of the expertise, perils and potentialities we’re discussing are in all places, on a regular basis. That is now.”
Elder Bednar was joined by his spouse, Sister Susan Bednar, who spoke earlier than her husband did. She taught about how the Savior lifts, strengthens and walks with people via their fears, self-doubts and different challenges. “Someway and in a means that I don’t absolutely comprehend or perceive, Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice offers us power and helps us to do laborious issues,” she stated.
‘Issues as they are surely’
In his 2009 address, given throughout a Church Instructional System Fireplace at BYU–Idaho, Elder Bednar warned that trendy expertise can distract individuals from “issues as they are surely” (Jacob 4:13).
He spoke concerning the significance of bodily our bodies, noting that everlasting development isn’t potential with out this important step. And since Lucifer has been denied a bodily physique, “we shouldn’t be stunned that [he] seeks to frustrate our development by tempting us to make use of our our bodies improperly,” from violating the legislation of chastity to utilizing addictive substances to worshiping the “false idol” of physique picture.
But when Devil can’t tempt somebody to misuse their bodily physique, Elder Bednar stated, his subsequent tactic is to lure them into disconnecting from the actual world — in essence, encouraging them to assume and act as if they’re nonetheless of their pre-mortal, unembodied state. And expertise is commonly the means by which the adversary minimizes the significance of bodily our bodies.
As an example, young women and men generally neglect everlasting relationships for digital diversions akin to video video games and social media, Elder Bednar stated; and texting, on-line chatting and different doubtlessly addictive web exercise can grow to be so immersive that somebody misses the richness of person-to-person communication.
Particularly for young married {couples}, “Vital alternatives are missed for growing and enhancing interpersonal abilities, for laughing and crying collectively, and for making a wealthy and enduring bond of emotional intimacy,” Elder Bednar stated. “Progressively, seemingly harmless leisure can grow to be a type of pernicious enslavement.”
Artificial intelligence
In his 2024 deal with, Elder Bednar constructed on concepts from his 2009 remarks, starting with the “exceptionally fast” growth of artificial intelligence in recent times. This “outstanding expertise” can advance data, enhance high quality of life, facilitate communication and foster innovation. However it could additionally distract from everlasting truths, diminish acknowledgement of God’s hand in all issues, obscure an individual’s true non secular identification and deform or exchange significant human connection.
As an example, an “AI companion” — a technological boyfriend or girlfriend — can provide partaking and addictive experiences interesting to a variety of emotional and social wants, Elder Bednar stated. The attract is additional heightened by the bot’s fixed availability and its absence of the complexities present in actual relationships.
However like carbon monoxide, these digital relationships are silent killers of true human connection, Elder Bednar stated. “Counterfeit emotional intimacy might displace real-life, emotional intimacy — the very factor which binds two individuals collectively.”
He continued: “An AI companion is barely a mathematical algorithm. It doesn’t such as you. It doesn’t care about you. It actually doesn’t know when you exist or not. … Please don’t let this expertise entice you to grow to be an object [to be acted upon].”
Elder Bednar emphasised that artificial intelligence isn’t inherently unhealthy, nor ought to people be afraid of or disguise from it. However the righteous potentialities of this expertise will be realized solely as Latter-day Saints are conscious of and guard in opposition to its perils, he stated.
To navigate the “complicated intersection” of spirituality and expertise, Elder Bednar stated Church members ought to humbly and prayerfully determine gospel ideas to information their use of artificial intelligence and sincerely try for the Holy Ghost’s companionship and for private revelation. He additionally invited listeners to evaluate and research “Principles for Church Use of Artificial Intelligence” discovered on the Church’s web site.
Ethical company
Elder Bednar additionally spoke concerning the potential of artificial intelligence to “diminish and suffocate” ethical company. Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness is meant to facilitate His kids’s everlasting development, and ethical company is crucial to this objective, Elder Bednar stated.
He outlined ethical company as “the divinely designed energy of unbiased motion that empowers us as God’s kids to grow to be brokers to behave and never merely objects to be acted upon.” Ethical company isn’t granted so that folks can do no matter they need, he stated — it’s given particularly in order that people will flip outward, love one another and select God.
However artificial intelligence’s ease of use, perceived accuracy and fast response time can create a doubtlessly beguiling, addictive and suffocating affect on the train of ethical company, Elder Bednar stated. As a result of this expertise is cloaked within the credibility and guarantees of scientific progress, “we would naively be seduced into surrendering our treasured ethical company to a expertise that may solely ‘assume telestial.’”
He continued that artificial intelligence can’t simulate, imitate or exchange the Holy Ghost’s affect, irrespective of how subtle it turns into. “As we’re sensible, protect and train our ethical company to like God and serve our brothers and sisters and take the Holy Spirit for our information, we will keep away from deception and prosper spiritually within the difficult and blessed occasions during which we dwell.”
Righteous work
One other side of Heavenly Father’s plan is the need of righteous work for non secular progress, Elder Bednar stated. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are Creators, and They’ve entrusted humanity with parts of Their artistic energy — which is important exactly as a result of it “constitutes one of many final expressions of our divine potential.”
Quoting the late President Thomas S. Monson, Elder Bednar emphasised the “joys and glories of creation” present in righteous work. That’s the reason one in all his nice issues is that over-reliance on artificial intelligence will trigger people to grow to be “spiritually slothful and shallow.”
As an example, he stated, somebody may select to write down a sacrament assembly discuss or plan a Sunday College lesson with artificial intelligence. In minutes and even seconds, they’ve fulfilled their speedy want. However do they actually have what they want? The have forfeited the method of studying for themselves, “line upon line, principle upon principle” (2 Nephi 28:30).
“Please all the time keep in mind we must always not promote our non secular birthright of realizing the ‘joys and glories of creation’ for a multitude of technological pottage,” Elder Bednar stated.
He clarified that nobody earns or qualifies for God’s blessings by their works. His will and timing decide when people obtain His tender mercies. Nevertheless, “you and I’ve the non secular obligation to work, to create and to study for ourselves.”
Young adults react
Following the devotional, young adults shared a wide range of methods they plan to implement Elder Bednar’s counsel into their lives.
Eliza and Stilman Palmer, a married couple, mirrored on how they grow to be extra like God via diligence and laborious work. Eliza Palmer stated she significantly hopes to assist her young kids expertise creativity. “I wish to search extra revelation [for] how I can create extra in my house.”
Connor McCrea, a building administration pupil at BYU–Idaho, stated Elder Bednar’s discuss made him think about that maybe he’s grow to be a bit over-reliant on artificial intelligence whereas pursuing his schooling. “God has given us the flexibility to decide on for ourselves and never [rely] an excessive amount of on the expertise that we have now.”
And Jenny Jaynes, a BYU–Idaho nursing pupil, stated she desires to make higher use of the time she spends with expertise. Moderately than merely scrolling via her telephone, as an example, she might publish extra gospel-related content material, bringing an “general extra constructive outlook to my life and [the] lives of these round me.”