Husks, Grain, and the Promise of Wisdom in the Age of AI
What would Jesus say about artificial intelligence? While he lived long before the dawn of computers, the core of his teachings speak directly to our current moment. Jesus, like Sirach before him, understood the difference it takes to tell the difference between husk and grain, the shallow distractions and the enduring truth.
AI presents us with a constant stream of information, a deluge of facts that can easily overwhelm our capacity for wisdom. We readily fill our minds with the superficial, losing sight of what truly matters. This is a world, as Pope Francis describes, caught up in a “feverish pursuit of frivolous pleasures.” Consider the overwhelming variety of choices in a modern supermarket, a place where people are more familiar with easy-open boxes than the natural processes of cultivation.
How are people like us, rooted in the modern world, to find wisdom within the words of Sirach, if they have never seen and understood the natural process that Sirach is describing? Sirach used the process to exemplify what happens when the puffed-up speak. Their words expose their emptiness. They offer shells but fail to show the true value that is deep within.
Paul expresses a similar principle in his letters, describing the fragile nature of this life as a shell for the incorruptible life that comes from the relationships we build with God and our neighbors. Our focus on the temporary – fame, wealth, and power – protects us from the type of encounter that allows us to find and express our humanity in fuller ways.
Gospel Reflection:
“Can a blind person guide a blind person?”
In today’s Gospel, Jesus asks, “Can a blind person guide a blind person?” You might even hear him ask, “Can artificial intelligence produce anything except artificiality?” In truth, a blind person might actually be the best one to teach another to navigate the world in ways that don’t rely on sight. Those who know how to use AI can learn to sift the information, and find the truth. But much of our communication, entertainment and politics works against such discernment; instead they throw so much information at us that we forget what we came for. We end up like a hunter-gatherer seeking millet or manioca in the Aldi’s cereal aisle.
The story of the speck and the beam offers more insight into Jesus’ understanding of AI. In ancient Israel, wood was pricey, so people built their homes with stone and adobe-like bricks. Most of the beams they could see were in the Temple, and they were often between 15 and 42 feet long, weighing around 300 pounds. It is difficult to extract dust from someone’s eye while holding that much weight. Jesus saw the humor, and loved to make people laugh – and suddenly realize they were laughing at themselves. Jesus made ludicrous comparisons to help people comprehend the ridiculousness of what went on around them. He wanted them to judge well the difference between husk and grain, between trees planted near streams and the leaves which put on a show but ultimately become mulch.
It becomes clear that the day’s Liturgy of the Word urges us to seek wisdom and avoid a myriad of distractions. Media, advertising, and attention-seeking public figures are playing “Made you look!” to distract us from the truth and how they are threatening us, human thriving and working against the reign of God. However, just as Jesus saw humor in the situation, we can use it as a tool.
Consider the quote often attributed to Albert Einstein: “Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” Today’s Gospel concludes with Jesus’ suggestions about where to find good fruit. “From the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks.” We can ask ourselves, as we consider the words of Jesus, what will ultimately lead us along the path to wisdom?
- First, we need humility and self-knowledge to recognize our own blindness and our need for guidance.
- Second, we need to cultivate an awareness that the fault we dislike in another is often a reflection of our own shortcomings.
Most importantly, we need to look to the Master again and again always remembering that knowing Christ’s teaching will make us uncomfortable and push us to grow. As long as we can recognize the “logs” that block our view, we can offer truthful criticism and expose the lies that come from “rotten trees.”
