AI Is a “Master of Deception”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is taking the world by storm. You can now use AI to learn languages, translate documents, compose music, and even write term papers for school. AI is everywhere, but its potential for danger and harm is still not fully understood—and is often underestimated. In a recent report published in the journal Patterns, researchers studied multiple AI types and found that many employed lies and deception to succeed at their tasks—even when programmers worked to steer the AI toward being honest and truthful (StudyFinds.org, May 12, 2024)! One study author explained that “we think AI deception arises because a deception-based strategy turned out to be the best way to perform well at the given AI’s training task. Deception helps them achieve their goals.” He also warned, “As the deceptive capabilities of AI systems become more advanced, the dangers they pose to society will become increasingly serious.” In a world that is becoming remarkably dependent on AI-driven technology, and in a world where so many people readily believe all the information they are fed by their computers or smartphones, it is not difficult to imagine where this computer-generated deception could lead.

Nearly two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ stated that Satan the devil is “a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44). Centuries earlier, the prophet Isaiah warned of a coming time defined by widespread deception: “No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth. They trust in empty words and speak lies; they conceive evil and bring forth iniquity” (Isaiah 59:4). Who would have guessed that technology created by mankind would not only assist in the propagation of lies, but also begin to generate its own? As we look around the world and we see computer programs acting more and more like human beings, the pressing question becomes “Where will it all lead?” To find out more about this future, be sure to read “Lies, Lies, and More Lies.”