We may be so caught up in the incredible work of robotics and AI that we may lose how we humanly approach medicine. Are we offloading medical care to the machine? Do we see patients with a singular medical object that needs attention, or do we consider the whole person? Given the many factors that need to be addressed does the medical community have time to address wholeness, never mind the holiness, of the individual? Medical personnel may feel increasingly pressured to meet the ever-increasing needs of patients that they end up depending more on AI. The simple fact that we must even be aware of this issue says much about the future directions of our society.

It is great to involve AI, but do we have boundaries or just ever-increasing expectations and needs? In 2013, Craig Detweiler wrote this great insightful reality stating that, “. . . Comedian Louis (Louis) C. K. jokes about our sense of entitlement regarding technology. He marvels that ‘everything is amazing right now and nobody is happy.’ C.K mocks those who get impatient when they have to wait a few seconds to get a cell phone signal from space!”

Our love affair with robots and AI will continue to grow. Expensive robots or AI programs do not require pension plans, days off, or medical attention. They rarely complain, but if they do, fixes are applied. We must acknowledge that the use of AI and robotics are changing how we think. We are being re-conditioned. Perhaps we do not need chaplains or spiritual care providers because we can use artificial robotic chaplains. Some experts are already considering the effects of such an agent. For example, if the artificial chaplain touches the patient’s arm, could leverage information on human modeling to know when, where, and with how much pressure to touch the patient.4 Robot chaplains do not become exhausted as humans do, but may lack empathy. Is this a step forward?

With the pressure of a high volume of patients, doctors already depend on algorithms to govern their time. Will AI soon be able to diagnose more effectively than humans? Can AI learn and read X-rays and MRIs better, cheaper, and faster than humans? The simple fact that these questions are posed indicates that we may already be moving more fully in that direction.

In an age of tight budgets, rising secularism, and fear of the extreme religious right, medical institutions may cut back on spiritual care. While “artificial chaplains can touch a patient’s arm,” do they connect with the patient? Patients want doctors and staff to cure their ills, but part of the human essence is that people want to share their stories. Patients want to share their fears, hopes, history, and future with other people. Patients want to relay these to professionals with skills to help them journey inward, to digest, and to contemplate the fullness of what is taking place. Patients want someone who can enter their space and walk with them for a short time, or as Kipling said, “nor lose the common touch.”

Medical staff frequently do not have time to help patients become more emotionally or spiritually alive because of pressing physical issues. While hospital staff have assigned duties, it is the spiritual care provider who has time to listen. These providers are there to hold hands, to hold souls, and to listen deeply. Amidst a variety of pressures, it behooves those in the medical community to pause and self-reflect. Does the Hippocratic Oath imply that doctors should try to be fully human, or alive so they can fully meet the needs of those in their care? Neuroscientist and author Andrew Newberg believes that wholeness is tied to holiness and holiness to wholeness.

Dr. Remen, author and clinical professor of family and community medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, explains what we need to recapture when she wrote: “Sir William Osler is often misquoted as having said that objectivity is the single most important trait of the true physician. He spoke in Latin and the word which is usually translated as ‘objectivity’ is aequinimitas. Aequinimitas does not mean ‘objectivity,” it means mental stillness or inner peace. Inner peace is an important quality for anyone whose daily work puts them in contact with human suffering.  But this is not the outcome of distancing oneself from life, rather it is about knowing life so intimately that one has become able to trust and accept life so intimately that one has become able to trust and accept life whole, embracing its darkness in order to know its grace.”

While it is necessary to keep pushing for more advances in AI, we need to restore and maintain a balance with the human touch and mental stillness. We need to be fully in touch with ourselves as we strive to meet the needs of the whole patient. To quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic The Little Prince, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” We need to hold onto humanism while advocating medical advances with AI.

One positive indicator is an ever-increasing number of medical schools offering students courses in spirituality. Instead of cutting back or eliminating spiritual care or chaplains, we should add to these departments to assist patients, and indeed all medical staff, in becoming deeper in tune with themselves. Patients and medical staff need to give themselves grace and self-healing. We all need to connect with Osler’s cry for mental stillness. Adam Miller writing in 2013 for the Canadian Medical Association Journal also addressed this need. He quoted an email from the internationally renowned psychiatrist, professor, author, and researcher Harold G. Koenig: “Currently, the only physicians who are assessing and addressing spiritual issues in clinical practice are devoutly religious physicians. Thus, addressing spiritual issues is physician-centered. This is the opposite of the way it should be. Health care should be patient-centered, not doctor-centered. Thus, the reason why spiritual issues should be assessed and addressed is because of their importance to patients, effects on medical decisions, and impact on health outcomes.”

To avoid burnout, exhaustion, and indifference, those in the medical community need to embrace themselves and embrace the future. AI cannot do that for our souls – at least not yet. Introspection is still exclusively human. Everyone needs introspection to retreat into themselves to be renewed. Besides coffee breaks, medical institutions should have an opportunity to step out of chaos to a special place where one can be healed and renewed. Everyone needs to enact on the words attributed to Sir Andrew Barton, “I am hurt but I am not slain. I’ll lay me down and bleed awhile, Then I’ll rise and fight again.”  By stepping out of medical and personal chaos and hurts, and into oneself, one can rise and be renewed.

Renewal can take many forms. In our external success-directed consumer-consumption, “me-ism” society, I wonder if we are losing the ability to travel inward. We need to take time to appreciate life’s journey. We need to embrace and heal our shadows, and the dark places inside. By reducing darkness within ourselves, we are open for light and healing to enter. In other words, to be able to heal others, one can also feel content about oneself. AI cannot do that for us. AI may soon be able to do every human task faster and with fewer mistakes. But AI cannot be our soul – at least not yet.

As John of the Cross in the 16th century noted, we must enter “the dark night of the soul,” to come to the light which means good health, and good spirits. As the 4th-century theologian Augustine of Hippo wrote, “Do not go outside yourself, but turn back within; truth dwells in the inner man; and if you find your nature given to frequent change, go beyond yourself. Move on, then, to that source where the light of reason itself receives the light.” While this was intended for Christianity, it is indeed a mantra for anyone in the medical community to follow – go in, be healed, and return to the cause of healing.

No AI was used to write or re-write this article. AI was used to help with grammatical errors. A human artificial intelligence expert, with medical knowledge, greatly added insights and proofreading to this piece.

The post Artificial Intelligence in the Medical Field from a Priestly Viewpoint – Pt. 2 appeared first on Dialogue.

People began shouting Bible verses about the call to help and care for others. When folks shouted out the words of Jesus, saying this, there was applause of affirmation.

After a few minutes, the minister asked for silence and for all to quietly pray. Next, the minister asked folks, “What did you hear God’s Spirit saying to you?” There were replies saying they were to raise cash. One suggested that those impacted would need listening ears, then asked for volunteers to train for this task. Many voices said they would sign up. Others suggested that they take tools and labor to those places. There were many calls for support. The gathering felt pleased as they were doing God’s work.

When the comments slowed down, the hand of the projectionist went up. “Yes,” asked the minister. “Well,” said the projectionist. “I loaded the wrong presentation.” The minister said, “It doesn’t matter you got God’s message across.” But the hand went up again, “You don’t understand, the pictures were ones I took last week.” The projectionist spoke in a loud voice, saying, “Those were pictures of local homeless camps.”

One elderly member stood up and said, “Maybe it was a mistake, I was fooled into a different world. But it was good to see this eye-opening presentation. It exposed the pain of those we ignore. I thank you for opening my eyes and heart.”

Another stood up and said, “Hurricanes, tornadoes, and other disasters are natural disasters. The homeless folk made these messes. We love to say they brought it upon themselves.” And then said, “My friends, that is a constant blaming and judging statement. Folks, we do not want to hear, or to understand anything about homelessness except that they are a blight to our pristine community. We do not want to listen to why they live on drugs. Perhaps drugs chose them because the addiction helps them escape life for a while.” After a deep breath, he continued and said, “How come we are so prepared to help one group of folks in need and yet hate others?”

With silence in the room, the speaker added, “In natural disasters, people’s homes are destroyed, and lives are shattered by a natural disaster, but for many homeless and drug addicts, their lives are shattered by inflicted long-term human disasters. Maybe some were born with very low self-esteem reinforced by uncaring families; perhaps some or many live with mental health issues; perhaps some lived lives where they never felt loved; and I could say much more.”

Another stood and said, “My friends, homeless people feel they live beyond human caring, so why would they want to care how they look, how they live, or the disorder they create with garbage and in their lives.” With this, the speaker, emotionally spent, sat down.

Then another rose and addressed the church by saying, “You know I work in a store near one homeless camp. I constantly hear people chirping and saying, ‘The homeless can change, if they want to. They can stop drugs, if they want to.’ Folks, we are assuming they know how to stop. They do not stop because they cannot stop. We are on the outside looking in, and they are in the inside, and they can’t see out.” As the speaker sat, the room became quiet, perhaps it was because many were consciously or unknowingly in reflective prayer.

One stood and said, “How are they any different than the rejected blind, crippled and lepers’ of Jesus’ day?” Then they added, “If Jesus took the risk and openly dealt with those society deemed of no value, shouldn’t we? I once heard that dealing with people on the edge is the centre of the Christian faith.” The speaker sat down. There was silence.

As one in attendance, how would you respond to those images?

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We rely on autocorrect, artificial intelligence, and algorithms (the 3As) more than we realize. They are linked to a 4A where Lord Acton’s famous line of 1887 stated that, “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely…” These 4As affect society, religion, and our spiritual selves far more than we realize. Would you believe that may soon have robots providing pastoral care in hospitals?

A few decades ago when preparing sermons preachers took time, effort, and discernment diving into resources. Today, the new God – “Google,” does those tasks in nanoseconds. Human involvement in time, effort, and discernment is diminished and discounted.

Many may use the offered resources to “cut and paste.” Some may revert to plagiarism. A few years ago, an American cleric was fired when it was discovered that the weekly sermon was simply downloaded from another’s weekly posted sermon. For shame!

Artificial intelligence and algorithms are so incredible that even after “listening to” a human voice speak a few words, the voice can be mimicked. So, if the church calls asking for an immediate donation, be dubious! It may be “Big Brother” calling.

The 4As do much thinking. But where are prayer, silence, meditation, and essential human face-to-face interactions? In the 1950s, German philosopher Martin Heidegger foresaw noting that the looming “tide of technological revolution” could one day “so captivate, bewitch, dazzle, and beguile man that calculative thinking may someday come to be accepted and practiced as the only way of thinking. This “frenziedness of technology,” he said is “entrench itself everywhere.” He was right. Research is showing that we accept almost everything the machine tells us, and we encourage the machine to then act. We trained the machine which is now training us.

If we are so unwittingly entrenched by the 4As, where are solitude, silence, and prayer? Our phones are the new Bible. They give us ALL the answers.

Through much of Christian history people believed God lived in the clouds. That must be right because we now store data, information, and knowledge, (dare we add wisdom?) “In the cloud,” in the DIKW world!

It is essential to look at how artificial intelligence and algorithms are embedded in all aspects of life. But we sorely need to autocorrect ourselves and be guided by the Holy Spirit. While the 4As do much for us, we need to step back and step down from much to be silent, to listen, and then act for Christ, and ourselves.

Rev Canon. Dr. David John Robson is a local cleric and a researcher looking at postmodern society, the church and spirituality.

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However, we rely on autocorrect, artificial intelligence, and algorithms (the 3As) more than we realize. We see and accept their many benefits but are perhaps blind to the social issues they cause. They affect our society, religion, and our spiritual selves.

For example, a few decades ago when preparing sermons preachers took time, effort, and discernment diving into resources. Today, the new God – “Google,” on the Internet does those tasks. In nanoseconds, more information and data than can be ever used is before us. Human involvement in time, effort, and discernment is diminished.

Many try to convert massive Google resources into knowledge from data and information. Others simply use the “supplied” resources as definitive conclusive answers with little discernment, effort, or reflection. Many use the offered resources to “cut and paste.” Some may revert to plagiarism. A few years ago, an American cleric was fired when it was discovered that the weekly sermon was simply a download from another cleric’s weekly posted sermon. For shame! We cut and paste because of haste. We are conditioned to believe we are always needed elsewhere so we deal with matters quickly.

Nowadays the “infallible” Internet supplies millions of pieces of information – all of which is theologically correct (sarcasm) and freeing us from deep discernment and thinking. Ponder this.

Artificial intelligence and algorithms are so incredible that even after “listening” a bishop, speak just a few words, the bishop’s voice can be very accurately duplicated. So, if a bishop personally phones and asks you to donate funds, be dubious! It may be “Big Brother,” not one calling on behalf of the Son of God.

The 3As do much of the thinking for us. But where are prayer, silence, meditation, and essential human face-to-face interactions? In the 1950s, German philosopher Martin Heidegger foresaw this new reality and noted that the looming “tide of technological revolution” could “so captivate, bewitch, dazzle, and beguile man that calculative thinking may someday come to be accepted and practiced as the only way of thinking. This “frenziedness of technology,” he said will “entrench itself everywhere.” He was right. Read this paragraph again.

Are we unwittingly entrenched by the 3As? Where is the solitude, silence, and prayer that was essential for Jesus today? Is it valued? Our phones are the new Bible. They give us ALL the answers. Through much of Christian history and perhaps to some degree today, people believed God lived in the clouds. That must be right because we now store data, information, and knowledge, (can we add wisdom?) “In the cloud.”

It is essential to look at how artificial intelligence and algorithms are embedded in all aspects of life. But we sorely need to autocorrect ourselves and be guided by the Holy Spirit. 3A’s do much for us. But we should step back from the fixed historical models of thinking, acting, and ministry practices they now influence. They direct us to where they want to be! We need to re-consider the risky practices of Jesus by asking many questions and how he described life. The 3A’s offer people 3A prescriptions. Ponder these things.

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