5 January 2026

There is a fear abroad that computers will become smarter than human beings. Do you think they will? They are certainly very fast, performing trillions of calculations per second. But they are operating under human instruction, processing information which humans have programmed into them.

There has been concern about the power of AI. It is a very powerful and useful tool but, as you would expect from something which humans have invented, it has the potential to make mistakes. Some people have got into deep trouble as a result of their reliance on AI. There are limits.

It is not creative. Human beings, not scientific computers, were made in the image of God. There is something sacred within everyone and this, more than anything else, has championed those who have been historically demeaned by society – children, women, black people, people who are gay …

And in being endowed with the image of God, we have been given the gift of creation. Like God, we can create life through the love which a man has for a woman. It is fundamental to the well-being of the human race and, indeed, the creation.

The Church has the potential to strengthen the marriage bond. The teaching of Jesus and St. Paul lead us into that Word  which lies at the heart of the universe. The love of husband and wife should reflect the love which Christ has for his bride, the Church – the love which suffers and dies for the other.

And until we invite the children back to the Kirk, our lives will continue to be impoverished. The Sacrament of Baptism plunges the child into the mystery of God and offers opportunities to get to know the One whose Word can never be subsumed  by a computer’s artificial intelligence!

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