A Prompt for AI and Faith
The full dimensions of what Robert Geraci describes as Apocalyptic AI will be apparent by the middle of 2031. That’s the assumption we’re making, based on where AI and BCI technologies already stand and how rapidly they’re evolving.
ChatGPT has essentially passed the Turing Test a decade or two sooner than most experts thought possible. Developments in neurotech are unfolding just as rapidly and surprisingly.
OUR SCENARIO
By 2031, we assume that AI and Faith has established a highly strategic niche at the intersection of the world’s major faith communities and the corporate behemoths that are developing and deploying advanced brain/computer interfaces, or BCIs.
Headquartered in the Luther Forest Technology Park south of Saratoga Springs, New York, Darwin's Edge is a major client, founded by Surina Rao in 2026. Of all the CEOs and tech entrepreneurs with whom David Brenner’s 2031 Analog has the privilege to work, Surina is most in sync with AI and Faith's mission.
Surina also has the most transformative technology: ThinkPal, the soon-to-be-launched direct two-way link from Smartacus, the AI Colossus, to the thalamus. ThinkPal’s four CPUs are installed in trigeminal via the empty sockets where your wisdom teeth used to be.
“We need your help with this rollout," she tells Derek Barnes, the 2031 Analog we’re taking the liberty of scripting for David, imagining the scenario he’ll encounter in eight years, the decisions he’ll make, the actions he’ll take, and the dialog he’ll use.
"We’re redefining what it means to be human.” she adds.
In 2031, AI and Faith has the world’s most rigorous standards for the ethical and moral design of brain/computer interfaces. AI and Faith CEO Derek Barnes directs the team that serves as the ultimate arbiter of any BCI's fitness for human deployment.
Barnes agrees to assemble a team of seven leading religious thinkers to be the first ThinkPal Volunteers. It’s a NASA-style, pedal-to-the-floor initiative aimed at ensuring it’s the United States that develops the next generation of human, not Russia or China.
In Chapter One, Barnes visits the Rev. Peter Gilman at his home the southern Adirondacks.
Peter gilman lives just down this road
THIS IS HIS CHURCH
Find below ChatGPT’s script for this scene.
THIS WAS OUR PROMPT TO CHATGPT
You know the power of ThinkPal and the many ways it will support human flourishing. Write the scene in which Derek Barnes visits the Rev. Peter Gilman on a sweltering August day at his home in the southern Adirondacks and invites him to become one of seven ThinkPal Volunteers.
THIS WAS CHATGPT'S RESPONSE
AI and Faith CEO Derek Barnes—wearing a lightweight, breathable suit designed for summer but still impeccable in its tailored fit—arrives at Rev. Peter Gilman's residence in Cardigan Falls, New York. The house, a rustic retreat in the southern Adirondacks, is shaded by towering pines, but the August heat nonetheless leaves a weight in the air.
Derek steps out of his autonomous car, a model that speaks to innovation and sustainable technology, an embodiment of the world he envisions. He carries with him the aura of someone who traverses the line between the profound and the yet-to-be-discovered. With a gentle knock, he stands at the front door.
Peter opens it, wearing linen shorts and a simple cotton shirt—a stark contrast to Derek but a testament to the essence of home comfort. The two men smile at one another with the ease that comes from years of friendship and deep intellectual respect.
"Derek, so good to see you. Come in, come in."
Gilman’s home is filled with the fragrance of aged wood and an assortment of spices—perhaps from the morning's breakfast. A selection of philosophical texts, science journals, and holy books lines the walls, in mismatched shelves that somehow feel like a unified collection.
After the preliminaries—water served, pleasantries exchanged, the air conditioning savored—Derek gets to the point.
"Peter, how would you feel about becoming part of history?"
The question hangs in the air, the gravity of it wrapped in the casual ease of their friendship.
Derek outlines the ThinkPal project, its lofty ambitions not lost on Peter. But he also describes it in terms of human potential, of empathy and understanding, of breaking barriers and forging connections. It's a vision that echoes their late-night college debates and yet surpasses them in tangible promise.
"We're partnering with Darwin's Edge for the First Human Demonstration of ThinkPal. It's revolutionary, Peter, and I can't think of anyone better to explore this frontier. Not just for its technological brilliance but for the ethical and spiritual implications it carries. We're going to document it all in a reality show—'Experimental Humans'—so that people can see, in real-time, the ethical decisions and the human stories that unfold."
Peter leans back in his chair, takes a deep breath, and meets Derek's eyes with a look that melds skepticism with wonder.
"I have concerns, Derek—about privacy, about the ethics involved. This isn't just a gadget; it's potentially peering into the soul."
Derek nods, acknowledging the weight of Peter's reservations without diluting his own enthusiasm.
"I know you have concerns, and that's exactly why you should be involved. To ask the hard questions, to be the moral compass. With you, we have a theologian in the room, a philosopher of the highest order, and, dare I say, a mystic. But more than that, we have a human being who genuinely cares about the flourishing of others."
The silence that follows is filled only by the low hum of the air conditioning, battling valiantly against the sweltering heat outside.
"Will you join us, Peter? Will you be one of the seven ThinkPal Volunteers to walk this path? With you onboard, we're not just exploring new technology; we're exploring what it means to be truly human in an interconnected world. We aim to elevate the symphony of the human mind.”
The room dims further as the two men contemplate the future, with the hum of machines growing louder.
Peter looks at Derek, then at the books on his shelves—each one a breadcrumb on his own journey of understanding—and then back at Derek.
“I’ll have to discuss this with my spouse. Then I’ll have to discuss it with my board.”
