Will artificial intelligence take over the world one day? Or, even if it doesn’t, will it take my job?

This was the question I’d been wondering about since news of ChatGPT started making the headlines earlier this year. I’m not the only one: around the world and in Singapore, writers, pastors, preachers, and others have been wondering if the artificial-intelligence chatbot will make them obsolete one day.

If this seems like a far-fetched fear, consider ChatGPT’s abilities. The program, which can mimic human conversation, is able to answer all sorts of questions by drawing on the gargantuan volume of information available across the internet. Among other things, it can write articles, programming code, and lyrics, as well as engage users in intelligent conversations on a wide range of topics.

Countless stories have emerged of ChatGPT being used by students to write their essays, preachers to come up with sermons (complete with Bible references), writers to generate and edit content, marketers to come up with catchy taglines—and scammers to create malware and write better scam emails. It’s hard not to worry about the chaos this new technology could potentially bring.

Knowing this, it seems natural to ask: What should Christians think about ChatGPT?

Reflecting on this question, the first thing I did—of course—was to ask ChatGPT itself. Guess what? It came back with a (frighteningly) wise and reasonable answer. It observed that Christians could choose to embrace new technologies as tools that can be used for good, or be cautious about how these technologies “may affect their faith and their relationship with God”. (I can just imagine how devices and technology can distract us from spending time with God, or affect the way we read the Bible, for instance.)

It then advised me: “Ultimately, how Christians respond to new technologies like ChatGPT will depend on their individual beliefs and values. Some may embrace them enthusiastically, while others may approach them with caution and skepticism. What is important is that Christians remain true to their faith and use their judgment to determine how best to incorporate new technologies into their lives in a way that aligns with their beliefs and values.”

Frankly, I couldn’t have put it better myself.

The debate over the potential power of AI chatbots, however, reminds me of similar fears that have emerged in the wake of other “revolutionary” technologies and inventions we’ve seen over the years, like mobile phones and computers. You could choose to love them or hate them (or both). You could also choose to see them as useful tools that could improve our lives immensely, or as a menace to society.

Given how quickly technology is evolving and how uncertain the impact is, however, perhaps one helpful way to respond is to . . . wait and see.

While we should not underestimate the impact of new technologies on our lifestyles and faith, we also need to avoid overreacting and worrying unnecessarily. The same could be said of new trends, new teachings, and new ideas related to the Christian faith.

In biblical times, similar debates arose in the wake of new teachings and teachers emerging onto the scene. Some might have asked: “Is this person and what he is saying true? Should we worry and act on this immediately, or should we just ignore it?”

Jesus himself said that one way to assess teachers was to observe the results of their work—for example, how they behaved and the kind of disciples they produced. “By their fruit you will recognise them,” He said. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:15–16).

Since trees take time to grow and bear fruit, we can guess that this kind of assessment cannot always be rushed.

Interestingly, a Pharisee called Gamaliel had similar advice when his peers wanted to execute Peter and the other apostles for preaching the gospel. If these men were false teachers, he noted, there was nothing to worry about, for false teachers had come and gone, and “came to nothing”. “If their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail,” he said. “But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God” (Acts 5:34–39).

Again, he was saying: Don’t make any judgment yet; wait and see, for the results will reveal the truth.

To be sure, we’re not comparing ChatGPT to a teacher and asking whether it’s from God or not. But we can apply the same wisdom in assessing its impact on our lives and our jobs.

There are times in life when passion and courage are needed to respond quickly. There are also times when we should proceed slowly, with great caution. And then there are times when we need to withhold judgment about things and observe—with godly wisdom and patience—the sign of the times.

How might ChatGPT affect our lives? Let’s wait and see, and watch and pray.