Â鶹ԼÅÄ

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with the Revd Azariah France-Williams

Good morning.

We are the product of algorithms’ targeted attention. A.I in our pockets challenges our identities and sells us myths of beauty and perfection, often leaving us feeling defective and dejected as everyone else seems to be living their best life, without us. We feel we can mount little resistance to the march of technology’s eventual takeover.

On this day back in 1984, James Cameron’s ‘The Terminator’ was released in the US. The film considered how a big data computer system called Skynet became sentient and triggered a nuclear holocaust. Over the decades this increasingly powerful A.I system produced cyborgs called Terminators to battle the human resistance which had arisen to combat the digital threat.

It is, of course, science fiction. Yet today, algorithms and big data constantly target our personal attention, impact our lives and threaten our sense of identity and those we know.

Creator God, may those of us who use technology to influence others apply the ethic of love to ensure those who encounter us and our products have their sense of identity enriched, and treasured. Jesus, you were the first to say in effect ‘I’ll be back’. May we be ready to embody your return in our engagement with technology, to build a world where we are connected to ourselves, each other and you, without fear.

Amen.