An often thoughtful, well-researched book unfortunately mired in outdated sexual ethics.
A Christian scholar explores ethical and religious questions posed by artificial intelligence.
Despite predictions since before the 1960s regarding a future that consists of robots, this book argues that evangelical thinkers have failed to meaningfully address “the existential and anthropological risks” associated with artificial intelligence. Not only do evangelical assumptions about the imago Dei (“image of God”) “hinder their engagement” with contemporary philosophical and ethical debates surrounding AI, but the long “cold war” between Christianity and science has disengaged many Christians from even considering the topic as worthy of meaningful conversation. As a pastor with a doctorate from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Smith is well versed in evangelical philosophy and doctrine and combines his religious background with a contemplative discussion of modern scientific ethics. Rejecting Luddite approaches to technology common within certain branches of evangelicalism, Smith’s main argument, based on the natural rights philosophy of Aristotle, Locke, and others, paradoxically suggests that “the best way to advocate for human rights” in a world with AI is to provide “legal personhood” to those very robots, which would serve as a “bulwark against dehumanization.” With a strong grasp on both Christian ethics and current trends in AI, Smith offers evangelical readers nuanced perspectives on the history of robotic futurism and the potential benefits, and ethical pitfalls, of AI. On automated warfare, for example, the author posits that the use of AI might “minimize collateral damage” and provide humanitarian and medical aid to combat zones. Though more than willing to call out fellow evangelicals for their failures to participate in a central ethical debate of our era, the book holds to many conservative stances common within religiously conservative circles, particularly regarding sexuality. The book’s discussion of sex robots will, therefore, alienate many readers with its rejection of “sex as a social right” and its descriptions of queer lifestyles as “sexual pollution” and “perversion.”
An often thoughtful, well-researched book unfortunately mired in outdated sexual ethics.Pub Date: Feb. 26, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-66-421975-5
Page Count: 260
Publisher: Westbow Press
Review Posted Online: May 10, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.
A warts-and-all portrait of the famed techno-entrepreneur—and the warts are nearly beyond counting.
To call Elon Musk (b. 1971) “mercurial” is to undervalue the term; to call him a genius is incorrect. Instead, Musk has a gift for leveraging the genius of others in order to make things work. When they don’t, writes eminent biographer Isaacson, it’s because the notoriously headstrong Musk is so sure of himself that he charges ahead against the advice of others: “He does not like to share power.” In this sharp-edged biography, the author likens Musk to an earlier biographical subject, Steve Jobs. Given Musk’s recent political turn, born of the me-first libertarianism of the very rich, however, Henry Ford also comes to mind. What emerges clearly is that Musk, who may or may not have Asperger’s syndrome (“Empathy did not come naturally”), has nurtured several obsessions for years, apart from a passion for the letter X as both a brand and personal name. He firmly believes that “all requirements should be treated as recommendations”; that it is his destiny to make humankind a multi-planetary civilization through innovations in space travel; that government is generally an impediment and that “the thought police are gaining power”; and that “a maniacal sense of urgency” should guide his businesses. That need for speed has led to undeniable successes in beating schedules and competitors, but it has also wrought disaster: One of the most telling anecdotes in the book concerns Musk’s “demon mode” order to relocate thousands of Twitter servers from Sacramento to Portland at breakneck speed, which trashed big parts of the system for months. To judge by Isaacson’s account, that may have been by design, for Musk’s idea of creative destruction seems to mean mostly chaos.
Alternately admiring and critical, unvarnished, and a closely detailed account of a troubled innovator.Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781982181284
Page Count: 688
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 12, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2023
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