I am not a fan of AI. In fact, I am a bit of an AI hater. This is probably not a surprising take coming from an artist. But my distaste for AI goes way beyond just art and creativity. In 2026, AI is being shoved down our throats and into every little corner of our lives with the assurance that it will make our lives better in every way.
I am far from convinced.
I think a lot of people have the wrong idea about what a better life looks like. People have bought in and trusted AI way too quickly. As a result, this tool is being broadly misused, and with great cost.
In the very first chapter of Frank Herbert’s Dune[1], a character states “Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.” This quote feels eerily relevant for 2026. Historically, most of pop-culture has portrayed AI as the scary robot that turns on humans and decides it needs to enslave the world. But here, Herbert identifies humans as the enslavers, and I think he hints at a past that we are currently entering. AI absolutely is enslaving our world. Or rather, we are enslaving ourselves with it. It’s not the computers, but the forces behind it, that we should be worried about.
“… we are enslaving ourselves with it (AI). It’s not the computers, but the forces behind it, that we should be worried about.”
When I say forces behind it, I am not specifically talking about big tech billionaires trying to enslave all of us “little people” (although that scenario could be true), but rather a force behind them and all of humanity. A nature within all of us that drives us to destruction.
Before I dive deeper into the ethics of AI, I want to briefly explain how AI works. I’m not the most tech-savvy person, but I have a basic understanding. In some ways, AI has been around for a long time. In the simplest terms, it is a computer doing math problems with the information that it’s fed. This process has simply become faster over time. In recent years, AI’s range of information and speed of processing have exploded immensely. It can process information in ways it has never been able to before at speeds it has never been able to before. Now it can be fed imagery and video, break it down, and regurgitate something back out based on the information it’s been fed.
Along with this technological breakthrough has comes the question; is it always necessary to push technology as far as possible? I don’t think it is. In the case of AI, I believe the costs of pushing it greatly outweigh the benefits. I don’t believe AI itself is evil, but I do believe that it is evil’s new favorite toy.
“I don’t believe AI itself is evil, but I do believe that it is evil’s new favorite toy.”
What I am seeing from AI is a huge amplification of greed, laziness, theft, dishonesty, lust, and an overall degrading of the human mind and soul. Its development is being pushed with immense speed which is damaging the quality of living in nature and communities. And in all fashions, AI is being used around the world in such wicked and disgusting ways. Anything from simple imagery to emotionally manipulate you, to scamming you out of money, to even developing explicit content of children!
I could write a whole book listing all of the ways AI has been negatively affecting people’s lives, but what is the real problem here? These are all bad things that are pointing to something deeper. Again, I don’t believe AI itself is evil. If AI is evil, it is because we humans are evil.
The reason I dislike AI so deeply as a Christian and a creative is that it has made our culture a hundred times more pragmatic. AI does not care about the process. It does not care about craft. It does not care about taking an extra step to care and be generous. It is used to get the job done in the quickest and most practical way possible. If the computer can do the job faster for less money, the person gets the boot.
We are choosing to put all our reliance on this tool. We want knowledge, pleasure, and money as fast as possible, as easily as possible, without any of the work or the inconvenience of other people. AI takes those desires to whole new levels. With AI, we don’t need to read, we don’t need to learn, we don’t need to think, we don’t need to work, we don’t need to create. AI has all the answers. Convenience is king. The less work we need to do, the better.
Except that work is inherently good! The process of making is good! Just because AI can do something faster and more efficiently does not mean it is better. God designed us to work; to cultivate and create.
“work is inherently good!”
Does AI offer any benefits? Sure. It helps us plan a diet.
Okay, it can do a little more than that. It has been used for some good things. It helps with data management, environmental analysis, communication, etc. It is just a tool after all. But honestly, I am getting really tired of hearing that excuse being used when it is being used so irresponsibly. It is true, AI is a tool, but it’s being treated as more than just a tool.
It’s impossible to predict with absolute certainty what the long-term effects of AI will be for our society. But I think we can make some safe assumptions based on the patterns of human behavior. Humanity is a self-destructive creature. Regardless of what kind of tool you put in our hands, we will eventually do something destructive with it. AI may be one of the most destructive tools that humanity has made yet. It is degrading of the human body and soul. With it, we are making ourselves more greedy, more selfish, less creative, less thoughtful, less hopeful, less human.
I am trying really hard to not let this be just a big rant. This doesn’t need to be all doom and gloom. I want to bring awareness to this subject and think critically about it. What I want to encourage people to do is to not fall for the promises of AI. Don’t fall into pragmaticism. Don’t buy into lies like “AI helps people with no talent.” People have been created with all kinds of different talents, and we are called to steward and cultivate those talents! Not everyone has all the same talents. We are called to serve each other with our gifts. You were uniquely made with a mind and a heart. You were made with a soul. You are meant to use them; first for God, then for others.
I am not saying to burn down AI all together…yet. But use critical thinking about it. Is it really helping us?
[1] Herbert, F. (2018). The Great Dune Trilogy. Gollancz.
Grant Overbeek 
Leave a comment