AI Bible videos high on action, lacking in substance

Artificial intelligence continues to impact various aspects of our lives, including changing workplace dynamics, health care management, data analysis and traditional teaching methods used in K-12 and higher education. AI is also venturing into the area of faith, with the AI Bible channel gaining significant popularity on YouTube. NPR senior correspondent and editor Geoff Brumfiel recently reported for "All Things Considered" that an AI Bible video on Revelation 1:7 had over 750,000 YouTube views. The video, Brumfiel wrote, feels "like a high-budget Hollywood movie, at times more like a scene from a video game, and at times like fantasy art." Since the Book of Revelation has deep imagery and symbolism in the vision that Christ showed John the Apostle on the island of Patmos, I can see how it would be a choice for a short, action-packed online feature. I watched this on YouTube, along with a video done on the prophet Elijah challenging the false prophets of Baal in a showdown that ended with God sending fire from heaven. The Revelation video began with a Bible verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:2, which says that the day of the Lord's return will come "as a thief in the night." In the beginning, it focuses on a young man who is a successful professional going about his daily routine. I noticed that he did the same thing every day: Wake up, check his phone, take a shower, and fix breakfast. He was fully immersed in his career, keeping appointments and taking time to hang out with his friends. It was apparent that this video's main purpose is to emphasize that those who are not looking for Christ's return will be caught by surprise when He appears. The AI effects that depict the destruction of buildings and public chaos have, as Abilene Christian University theology professor Brad East mentions, a "Marvel aesthetic." The video on Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal and King Ahab, the ruler of Israel who abandoned God's commandments and married the wicked Phoenician princess Jezebel, has some graphic scenes that are not suitable for children. While this AI-generated content continues to gain likes and subscribers, I find it sorely lacking in the authenticity of storytelling. I attribute this to being old-fashioned when it comes to video stories and films. For example, with all the AI and computer-generated effects available today, my opinion is that they will never top the classic 1956 "Ten Commandments" film that starred the late Charlton Heston as Moses. I still get chills every time I watch Heston stretching forth his rod to part the Red Sea. The AI Bible stories are produced by Pray.com, and it appears that teens and young adults are the primary audience they are trying to reach. While it is evident that many young people are drawn to AI-generated narratives, the AI Bible has been heavily criticized by many theologians and pastors. Brumfiel quotes Jeffrey Bilbro, a professor of English at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, who stated he believes these AI videos "(situate) the Bible as entertainment, as content to be titillated or amused by ... rather than a word that is a divine revelation intended to transform our lives and bring them into accordance with truth, with God and with one another." I agree with Bilbro's assessment due to the diligent time it takes to study God's Word. Bible stories can be conveniently packaged with the technology we have today, but people truly seeking God need dedicated teachers and pastors to instruct them in Scripture. A person who has never attended a Bible study will not understand the AI Revelation video, and quite frankly, it would probably instill fear in them since the detailed prophecy behind the apocalyptic scenes is not explained. The symbols and signs in Revelation, which include people, animals, colors, places, stones and numbers, must be broken down in context, something a fast-moving AI video cannot do. I worry that many people will try to use these videos as a shortcut for understanding the Bible, which in turn will prevent them from comprehending the fullness of its message. Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus.