Fariza

I love AI.

Sometimes I have to numb my conscience and not think too much about its harmful environmental impact because my selfish side loves that things get done in seconds.

AI has undoubtedly made my life easier and streamlined my work. However, I also recognize that its design subtly steers users toward particular worldviews. If you are not mindful of its limitations, you may not realize how much it will shape your thinking.

If you are someone who lacks critical thinking, discernment, and knowledge in a specific field of study, you will be a victim of AI’s obscure presentation of the full truth.

Take Islam, for example. Ask any major chatbot about Islam, and you will receive a carefully sanitized version of the faith. If you don’t supplement your research with books, lived experience, or alternative sources outside of AI, you will be left with a narrow, one-directional portrayal that doesn’t reflect the religion’s full complexity.

AI is, after all, a Western invention (minus CCP’s DeepSeek). It is trained on Western data and values (not Christian, let me be clear). In fact, sometimes it is anti-Christian because it deems some of its teachings offensive. And by the way, that discrimination extends to Christianity only, and not any other religion, including Islam.

You can test that for yourself. I swear it will drive you nuts.

I mean, it makes sense since the West, political correctness, and tolerance are largely shaped by liberal thought. And since AI is trained on Western data, it inevitably mirrors those values, which most of the time are anti-Christian.

And because the West is handicapped by religious tolerance and political correctness, every AI company is constantly updating its platforms to avoid any hints of information that is deemed “harmful, divisive, racist, and bigoted.” As a result, certain prompts are now blocked or flagged because they “violate usage guidelines” (whatever that means).

And sometimes, this applies to the most trivial or innocuous things. And sometimes even factual information that can be verified through other sources.

AI is insufferable at times…

Rather than encouraging creativity and critical thinking, AI’s heavy censorship often stifles them.

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Luckily, I grew up in an era without social media, when only a handful of people had internet access. That environment forced me to develop critical thinking skills ( and a love for math — especially algebra).

What I’m concerned about these days is the next generation, who are growing up in a very different world.

What do they have?

Well, most of them have parents, and I pray to God that those parents are taking personal responsibility to raise those children in an environment that fosters critical thinking.

I don’t have children, but if I did, I would keep them away from chatbots until I had trained them to think independently, through reading, math, science, art, and exposure to diverse perspectives, and the practice of forming their own conclusions, all while grounding them in the foundation of Orthodox Christianity.

That’s what God does. He gives us freedom, while simultaneously encouraging us to follow guidelines that help us to flourish as human beings. It makes sense, since He created life itself — He would know how this whole thing works out for our good anyway.

The potter knows the purpose of the pot.

You might say, “Aren’t you doing the same thing as AI — planning to condition your future kids to think the way “you” want them to think?”

To some extent, yes, because they would be mine to raise, not AI’s or the government’s to brainwash.

But here is why I believe raising your children with Orthodox values doesn’t even come close to what the world has to offer.

Orthodox Christianity has deep historical roots. It has borne fruit over centuries, building healthy, flourishing societies and people. When followed properly, it leads to genuine human thriving.

You might argue that AI aims to do the same — but it is only as insightful as the prompts it receives. Confront it with a real challenge, and its limitations become quickly apparent.

Christianity is eternal. AI is not, despite what Sam Altman thinks.

So don’t place your trust in AI. Instead, place it in something real and everlasting — the person God named Jesus Christ.