The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has washed over our world with what feels like the transformative power of a tsunami, and there is no foreseeable end to this wave in sight. Thanks to AI we have smart TVs, smart fridges, smart vacuums, smart doorbells, smart lights, smart cars, and even smart cities!

But is this a good thing? A growing chorus of voices from around the world say no. While AI is developing at an astonishingly fast rate that is set to transform education and health care in many positive ways, it also now poses a very real threat to the safety of humanity—just as the tree of the knowledge of good and evil did to our first parents long ago.

All of this reminds me of another time in the Bible when humanity tried to build something great, but it backfired badly. Genesis 11:4 says, “And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”

That God comes down in Genesis 11 is a reminder to us all that God sees us and all that we do. He is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who knew what would have happened on the plain of Shinar had He not intervened to disrupt the building of the Tower of Babel. As the psalmist once said, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Ps. 127:1).

In light of this, Jesus is today appealing to us all to build our faith on Him who is the Rock of Ages, ensuring that God’s Word forms the foundation for our lives. AI will never be able to replace the power of prayer and Bible study as agents to prepare us for an eternity with Jesus.

While AI can be used as a tool to support our spiritual growth, it also risks being a digital distraction that robs us of precious time with Jesus. If this is something you recognize as a challenge in your life, the Holy Spirit can help you reset your priorities. We are yet again living in a time when the inhabitants of our world are building a tower, not out of brick and mortar, but out of data and code; through AI it seems almost as if humanity is yet again reaching for the heavens without any regard for the Creator or His creation.

God’s Word makes clear that God Himself is coming to rescue His earth children from the plains of this earth, and when He does, all the towers of our invention and devising will be brought to nothing. Daily we can choose to start our day with Him and His Word before we reach for our smart devices in the morning. May God help us to live each day looking by faith to Jesus, anchoring our lives in His Word, and praying with joyful expectation of His soon and glorious return.

Adapted article by Charissa Torossian, Adventist Review , Read Full Article here