How does AI technology shape our understanding of what it means to be human?

What are the ultimate goals of artificial intelligence, and how do they fit with a Christian view of history and eschatology?

What historical, philosophical, literary, cultural, and spiritual roots drive AI engineers to create super-intelligent machines?

In Minds, Myths, and Machines, research scientist and ethicist John Wyatt analyzes these challenging questions and more by diving into the mythologies inspiring AI innovations, the hopes and risks for users, and how the biblical story can keep us grounded through momentous technological changes.

This compelling exploration cuts through the confusion surrounding artificial intelligence, offering accessible analysis of issues raised by advances in AI and robotics. Wyatt traces the historical development of AI technology while also examining deeper cultural, ethical, and spiritual dimensions.

What you'll find in Minds, Myths, and Machines:



- An outline of the historical development of machine learning using neural networks and large language models

- An examination of cultural narratives, myths, and metaphors about AI; the Christian origins of technological optimism; the relationship of technology to creation and the fall of humanity; and the meaning of personhood

- An overview of key Christian ideas about creation, anthropology, technology, and the future of humanity

- Practical, theologically informed responses from a Christian perspective

If you are tired of feeling unmoored in a sea of technological change, this book provides the practical wisdom needed to respond faithfully to a world being transformed by AI. This book challenges you to move toward informed Christian engagement that resists both human and spiritual evil while seeking redemptive possibilities for powerful technology to be reorientated toward the flourishing of humankind.

The artificial intelligence revolution is reshaping our world. As dreams of technological salvation collide with fears of human extinction, Christians need the thoughtful, biblically grounded framework to navigate this complex landscape found in Minds, Myths, and Machines.



John Wyatt is professor emeritus of ethics and perinatology at University College London and senior associate at The Faraday Institute for Science and Religion in Cambridge. His books include Matters of Life and Death, Right to Die?, and Dying Well. He was co-leader of a Templeton Foundation-funded research project into the social, ethical, and theological implications of advances in artificial intelligence and robotics based at the Faraday Institute.



Table of contents forthcoming