I Typed the Bible Into an Artificial Intelligence Art Generator. Here's What Happened
Education
Introduction
Hey everyone, it's Matt! Thanks for joining me on my YouTube channel today. We're diving into something really fascinating—I've been experimenting with artificial intelligence-generated art for several hours now. While I find this technology both intriguing and troubling, I can’t help but explore its implications and effects on art and human expression.
One of the questions that stirred my curiosity was how deeply Christian thought and biblical narratives might be embedded in the intelligence of these AI art generators. What if we prompt it with theological concepts and biblical stories? Today, I've decided to test this by using Matthew 8:23-27, the story of Jesus calming the storm. This particular passage offers visual intrigue and allows us to dig deeper into what these AI art generators might produce when prompted by scripture.
Using a copy of the English Standard Version (ESV), I’ve chosen to input the following text: “And when Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him.” Keeping the prompt succinct, I hit generate and waited to see the result. The generated image depicted a tumultuous scene with a boat taking on water and Jesus confidently standing at the boat’s front. While it didn't represent the story perfectly, it conveyed some theological undertones about Jesus as a savior and refuge.
Next, I moved to verse 24—“And behold there arose a great storm on the sea so that the boat was being swamped by the waves but he was asleep.” The image produced was a beautiful seascape, evoking the context of the storm. At this point, my excitement grew about the potential of this experiment.
Continuing with Verse 25, I input, “And the disciples went and woke him saying save us Lord, we are perishing.” Unfortunately, the AI’s generated image became quite unsettling, depicting multiple bizarre faces and illustrating the frustration with AI’s grasp on biblical subjects. Trying to improve the context, I tweaked the text to provide clarity while maintaining fidelity to the meaning.
When I prompted the AI again, the generated image continued to miss the mark for portraying the scene accurately. It produced another depiction that removed Jesus from the context of the boat, perplexing me further. It seemed to struggle with representation, as I noted a disconnect between the scene's intended meaning and what the AI illustrated.
Finally, I reached the end of the passage—“And the disciples marveled saying, ‘What sort of man is this that even the winds and sea obey him?’” Prompting with this text led to confusing results and even unintended weird visuals of what looked like steampunk elements mixed into the biblical narrative.
While I would not claim any of the generated images fully encapsulated the biblical story, they did elicit curiosity and provoke thought. The exercise showcased the limitations of AI in understanding nuance, context, and theological depth.
This experiment raises larger questions about the intersection of technology and spirituality. Can AI indeed resonate with human concepts of faith? As I compiled the images generated throughout this session, I reflect on how we take something man-made, echoing our own image, and engage it with the language of the divine.
In summation, here’s the text of Matthew 8:23-27:
“And when Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves. But he was asleep. And they went and woke him saying, ‘Save us Lord; we are perishing!’ And he said to them, ‘Why are you afraid, oh you of little faith?’ Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. The men marveled saying, ‘What sort of man is this that even the winds and the sea obey him?’”
I truly welcome your input in the comments! Let’s discuss the technological implications of AI art and its relationship to human expression.
Keyword
AI art generator, Jesus, calming of the storm, biblical stories, machine learning, theology, Matthew 8:23-27, disciples, savior, human expression.
FAQ
Q: What was the purpose of prompting an AI art generator with the Bible?
A: The goal was to explore how AI would interpret biblical narratives and whether theological concepts would manifest in the generated art.
Q: What Bible passage did you use for this experiment?
A: I used Matthew 8:23-27, which tells the story of Jesus calming the storm.
Q: How did the AI art generator respond to the biblical prompts?
A: The AI produced several images, some of which were visually interesting, while others missed the context entirely, illustrating a struggle to represent biblical themes accurately.
Q: Were there any significant theological insights gathered from the AI-generated art?
A: While some images evoked themes of Jesus as savior and refuge, many others lacked the necessary depth and understanding of the scripture.
Q: What overall conclusions can be drawn from this experiment?
A: This exercise highlights the limitations of AI in comprehending complex human emotions and theological nuances, raising questions about the intersection of technology and spirituality.
