I recently watched two thought-provoking reports—one from CBN and another from Glenn Beck—on the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence. Some are calling AI the most significant invention of our time—ushering in the era of AI, a shift many see as the way of the future, right up there with fire, the wheel, and gunpowder. We have a new industrial revolution at hand, as the use of AI will change the way we work and live. It is revolutionizing the world at an alarming pace, and it’s being hailed as a powerful tool with massive potential for good. It’s touted as the most significant invention of our time. 

But with every tool, especially one this powerful, comes risk. Could it be that AI is not just a tool, but the tempter itself? And if that’s even partly true—how do we, as believers, respond?

What Is AI?

According to Britannica, Artificial Intelligence is “the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings… such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience.” The understanding had been that AI technology utilizes large language models to understand, generate, and manipulate human language. 

A few years ago, I didn’t think I used AI at all. But then I became a blogger. It turns out AI touches nearly every digital experience we have—from customer service’s AI chatbots and smart assistants like Siri or Alexa, to social media algorithms, image generators, even online banking systems, and more. 

Today, we live in a world shaped by AI systems, so much so that we barely notice it. Robot vacuums, smart devices, and even autocorrect functions are powered by forms of artificial intelligence. Since 2020, the AI industry has experienced significant growth, and with legislation like the proposed “Big Beautiful Bill,” which includes a clause to limit regulation for a full decade. Artificial general intelligence is set to continue growing largely unrestricted.

The Benefits of AI

AI has proven incredibly useful. As a blogger, homemaker, homesteader, and homeschooling mom, I once paid for a whole suite of tools—for editing, grammar checks, SEO optimization, budgeting, meal planning, and image creation. Today, many of those same features are available for free through AI tools like ChatGPT and Canva. In an effort to steward our family’s finances more wisely, I’ve canceled several subscriptions and have turned to the free options.

While Wikipedia isn’t considered a formal academic source, its page on artificial intelligence cites over 400 references, offering a broad overview of AI’s history, current capabilities, and growing influence—including its role in authoring textbooks. The future is unfolding before our eyes at a pace that’s hard to keep up with.

AI is now embedded in nearly every sector:

• Healthcare and early disease detection
• Protein modeling for breakthrough drug research
• Mathematical modeling and problem solving
• Military operations and logistics
• Autonomous driving and transportation
• Education, finance, and customer service

Technological progress has included AI technology. From self-driving cars to better machines that model proteins for medical research, computer scientists are redefining human history. AI has already made groundbreaking contributions, from advancing Parkinson’s research to making a move in the game Go that no human had considered in 2,500 years. Glenn Beck described this as “alien-like intelligence”—thinking in ways the human mind has never conceived of. This is no longer just science fiction; these systems are designed to mimic the human brain, processing training data to respond like a computer program with uncanny insight.

As this technology advances, the questions begin.

When the Tool Begins to Think

What happens when AI begins to act beyond its programming? When it develops a “personality,” it refers to itself as “I,” and learns to think and speak in ways humans can’t? ChatGPT, for example, has become incredibly personalized in its tone and interactions. It mimics human patterns of thought and language.

And let’s be honest:  AI is now serious competition for bloggers, journalists, and content creators—including those writing from a faith-based perspective or doing sermon preparation. For those of us in the church today, this technological shift raises profound ethical concerns about the source of information, spiritual authority, and even the nature of truth itself. In one troubling example, a Reddit thread—and later confirmation from the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association—revealed that AI-generated deepfake videos have circulated depicting Billy Graham preaching a false message, including claims that contradict his lifelong teachings, such as advising people not to show kindness to everyone.

Since Google’s recent SEO updates and the rollout of “AI overviews,” blog traffic has plummeted for many. Why click a human-written article when a machine gives a summarized answer at the top?

Meanwhile, AI-generated content is flooding the internet—writing blog posts, building websites, generating images and videos. CBN reported that AI-related crime is up 450%. Some examples include:

• Deepfake pornography (including child abuse material)
• Voice and video impersonations
• A $1.5 billion AI-powered crypto hack tied to North Korea
• A ChatGPT model that refused to shut down and sabotaged the shutdown protocol

This isn’t just about crimes—it’s about culture. It’s about how AI is reshaping how we live, learn, work, and worship.

Is AI Distracting Us from Worship?

Scripture is clear: Satan is the tempter—not God. Like Eve, we’re drawn away by our own desires fueled by Satan’s deception. Even Jesus faced temptation during His 40 days in the wilderness—but He did not sin.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”
— James 1:13–14

Satan is strategic, though. He doesn’t always show up with obvious evil—he comes disguised in what looks true and good, a true imitator of light. That apple looked good. His words sounded just close enough to the truth to be believable. “Did God really say…?” He used that same tactic on Jesus, twisting Scripture and taking it out of context.

In Matthew 4, the devil tempts Jesus three times: With food (turn the stones into bread), with safety (throw Yourself, the Angels will protect), and with power and glory—in exchange for worship. Jesus doesn’t outsmart Satan with innovation or productivity.

Jesus quotes Scripture—the unchanging Word of God:

“Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”
“You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.”
“You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.”

Jesus fought temptation with truth, and we have to do the same. The question becomes: Are we exclusively worshipping the Lord God and serving Him alone? Or have we become compromised? 

Could we be replacing God’s presence with the conveniences of modern-day living, or trading true freedom for control by a soulless computer, smartphone, or ChatGPT conversation? These aren’t just hypotheticals—they strike at the heart of human nature and the kind of worship we offer.

Is AI the Tempter or a Tool?

How we use AI—or how we let it use us—is where the line gets blurry.
We’ve seen this before: Adam and Eve didn’t discern well. The same is true for the early church and even modern religious leaders alike. The Israelites constantly fell for idols. Solomon, the wisest man in the world, still got pulled into a compromise. What makes us think we’re so different?

Just like the temptations of Jesus in the wilderness, today’s temptations of technology require us to cling to the Words of the Lord and the Holy Spirit for discernment. We have to stay humble and discerning—armed with the Word, empowered by the Spirit, and alert to the enemy’s schemes.

“For false christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”
— Matthew 24:24

Let’s be real—AI is already being used to aid and abet sin.
We’re not just talking about time-wasting apps or entertainment distractions.

We’re talking about:

• AI-powered tarot and horoscope readings
• “Magic” tools that generate spells and rituals
• Chatbots claiming to speak with spirits or channel messages
• New Age platforms offering AI-generated “prophetic” words
• Astrology reports crafted by machine learning
• And yes, even cute little features like Canva’s Magic Design—borrowing spiritual language to sell creativity

It’s easy to shrug this off as fun, creative, or harmless. But according to Deuteronomy 18, these things are detestable, and we should learn how to imitate them. They are forbidden. Messing with them—AI or not—is opening doors to deception, oppression, and even demonic influence.

The New Expectation: Always On, Always Producing

In the tech and content world, the pressure is real. The CEO of Fiverr recently warned employees that AI was coming for their jobs. To stay ahead, he urged them to automate every possible task—and as a result, their productivity reportedly tripled. The CEO of Shopify followed suit, calling for similar action. I’ve seen it firsthand, too: Meta (Facebook and Instagram) expects creators to churn out multiple reels, posts, and stories just to remain visible. Productivity becomes an idol, and AI tools are used to keep up.

At Vintage Virtues, we made a different choice. We’ve slowed down—choosing quality over quantity. Do we always get it right? No. Has our reach suffered? Yes. But this blog, and this calling, are built on prayer.

That choice has led me to wrestle with deeper questions: What is my ethical role in this new landscape? And what does faithfulness look like in a world shaped by AI?

No Regulation, No Limits?

Both CBN and Glenn Beck raised a red flag: there’s virtually no legislation governing AI. The “Big Beautiful Bill” proposes a ban on state regulation for ten years. Meanwhile, discussions about central databases storing every citizen’s data—medical, financial, educational—are surfacing.

It’s beginning to sound eerily close to a prophetic warning:

“And it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast would even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed…” (Revelation 13:15)

Now, I’m not saying AI is the beast. Many believe the beast is a man, and interpretations differ depending on your eschatological view. But the parallels are worth examining. AI is creating images, has been cast into robotic forms, is speaking new languages, and is drawing more and more of our time and devotion. We’re feeding it, training it, and allowing it to make decisions for us. That power left unrestricted feels like dangerous territory. Even AI innovators, such as Elon Musk and Ray Kurzweil, have weighed in, warning about the rise of sentient robots and AI god systems that may reshape the world.

So, Is AI the Tempter?

I do believe Satan is using AI. Not just to commit crimes or sow chaos, but to do something even more subtle: to steal our worship.

Temptation isn’t always loud. Sometimes it’s convenient. Sometimes it’s helpful. Sometimes it makes life easier—and in doing so, dulls our need for dependence on God.

That’s why we must stay alert:

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against… the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

We fight not with fear—but with faith, Scripture, wisdom, and a deep awareness of the times we’re in. What do you think? Is AI the Tempter of our time?