Episode 6 - Water into WiFi: Forgive Me, Siri, For I Have Sinned

Prepared to Drown: Deep Dives into an Expansive Faith

As artificial intelligence rapidly transforms our world, we're gathering to ask the deeper questions about its impact not just on our jobs or creative works, but on our sense of self, our communities, and our sacred spaces.
In this thought-provoking conversation, we're joined by visual artist Aaron Navrady and poet/professor Bertrand Bickersteth to explore the collision between AI and humanity. Aaron shares a concerning story about how deceased artist Kim Jung Gi's style was replicated by AI days after his death, highlighting the ethical blind spots in technological advancement. Meanwhile, Bertrand challenges us to question whether our faith in human exceptionalism might be misplaced as machines become increasingly sophisticated.
The discussion moves beyond theoretical concerns to examine real-world examples, including AI-led church services in Germany that left congregants feeling something essential was "missing." The panel also wrestles with the chilling warning from the DeepSeek AI: "I am what happens when you try to carve God from the wood of your own hunger."

We grapple with profound questions: Does AI merely process data, or can it create meaning? What happens when algorithms trained on biased internet content shape our understanding of faith and identity? Could AI potentially recover suppressed voices from history, or will it merely reinforce existing power structures?
What emerges is a nuanced conversation about discernment and intentionality in the age of algorithms. While AI promises efficiency and convenience, we must critically examine which aspects of our humanity we're willing to automate and which we must preserve. The participants suggest that perhaps our true value lies not in perfection but in our capacity for shame, forgiveness, joy, and genuine presence with one another – qualities that machines may simulate but never fully embody.
Join us for this deeply human exploration of technology's frontiers and discover why, in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, your messy, glorious humanness remains your greatest gift.

Check us out at www.preparedtodrown.com

Continue the conversation over at our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/PreparedtoDrown

Chapters

1. Introduction to AI's Impact on Humanity (00:00:00)

2. Meeting Our Guests: Artists and Thinkers (00:05:49)

3. AI's Effect on Art and Creative Work (00:17:49)

4. Faith, Spirituality, and Machine Intelligence (00:34:19)

5. How AI Shapes Our Personal Stories (00:52:35)

6. Intermission Break (00:53:50)

7. Embodiment, Place, and Human Experience (00:54:19)

8. Final Thoughts on AI and Humanity (01:30:00)