How am I thinking of Generative AI as an artist in creative ministry?

What is Al vs. Generative Al?

Al seeks to solve problems and mimic human intelligence by detecting patterns, making decisions, and performing tasks.

Generative Al goes further by using algorithms and large language models to create fresh content.

WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Generative Al is already shaping the way industries work in mixed ways, including how creative is and will be made. And it is still in its infancy.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISSUES?

Privacy, accuracy, bias, expense to implement for companies making their own Al, copyright debates, and uncertainty (potential harm & good). Regulations are coming in all parts of the world but it's challenging because of its scope, nature, and speed of progress.

As a one who serves in creative ministry, how am I seeing it?

It's a paradigm shift.

In a sense, Al seems to function like a collective consciousness of man's opinions/research that we can consult as a resource assistant to accomplish certain work (or play) ...though there is still some mystery in how it prioritizes. Every thing that creates, prioritizes. How Al interprets a prompt is often a biproduct of what models informed it.

Al derives its future from researching past. New human experience will feed into future versions of Al...and Al will be able to spot patterns faster with the additional ability to create. It's crazy.

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

The evolution of the internet from when I graduated high school to the era of Al gives some clues. Our seeking has progressed in desire from access, to world awareness, to selling, to expertise, to social, to creation, to power.

We should always ask "what power is being sought after and what power is being transferred?" Is it ultimately leading us and others to pursue, reflect, & praise God or create deception and replace Him to create our own identity? Does this lead toward or detract from human flourishing? How does this impact/reflect our human spiritual condition?

I think it's important to consider why & how we use a new technology before embracing wholeheartedly.

New tech fascinates me. When I first played with Chat GPT last Fall and other visual Al apps in January, I wanted to see what it does. I'm a fan of innovation, creativity, and ingenuity. Then as we were getting ready for the Awe series at HC, JP mentioned how a particular Al image expressed a sense of awe worth exploring for a visual concept.

I'll be honest, my first instinct was resistance. Generative Al was now "on our shore" and I hadn't thought of how Al would enter what we do in creative ministry.
For the project, I just stepped back (and got over myself) and then asked "why is Al attracting more of a sense of awe in some people than reality? In Al world, what does an artist and creative minister bring then?" A lot of questions came up initially which signaled to me I needed to spend some time with the Lord in this and also do research to get a wider grasp of Al's progress and impact.

So I started diving into research, reading articles/books, watching interviews, listening to podcasts in all different spheres (business, philosophy, computer programming, marketing, social, publishing, artists, music, gaming, tech, etc)...from CEOs to experts to simply the curious and impacted.

And then a couple weeks ago during some time away with the Lord, I spent focused time digging into His Word and praying. It's deeply important to me to know how to process Al inside my calling as a creative minister as we seek to help shepherd the next generation of creatives. I'm no expert, but I'm on the journey like everyone. And maybe a piece can be helpful as you process with the Lord too.

So I created this post to share some of my takeaways of the opportunities, risks, insights, temptations, differentiation (Ai vs human creativity) of using Al...and then share how to sort through motivations biblically as a creative minister. I'll also share some of my experiences in times to come.