An Ai generated image of Donald Trump with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu wearing board-shorts, reclining shirtless, in deckchairs on the Gaza coast, sharing drinks. Photo: AIImage Generator
It used to be fun ‘sharing’ images or clips of people accomplishing amazing exploits, humorous activities going ‘pear-shaped’, or cute animals performing crazy antics.
Murray Smith
Now I’m cautious because getting (lovingly) mocked by my kids for being gullible wasn’t cool. An adult daughter smiling patronisingly at me, piteously saying, “Oh Dad… that’s just AI,” eroded my confidence to share lest I appear naïve. The line between what’s real and what’s fake has become very blurred. And that’s increasingly a problem for the age we live in.
The growing inability to distinguish between what’s true and what isn’t on our phone and computer screens ought to concern us. This applies to content be it commentaries, documentaries, news feeds or countless visuals purporting to tell stories that never happened. Multiple examples exist, but easily dismissed was the AI image showing President Trump with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu wearing board-shorts, reclining shirtless, in deckchairs on the Gaza coast, sharing drinks.
An Ai generated photo showing editor Roy Pilott, left, talking to Murray Smith.
Some argue, does it matter? Risking losing our capacity to establish the truth of what is unfolding around us is what’s at stake. Soon, we may give up trying and just accept the loudest most convincing and compelling ‘voice’ without testing it.
Disenchantment with traditional journalism is driving many to social media for their ‘world news’ increasing the risk of imbibing non-factual material from the AI pool.
Our planet is convulsing under turmoil and brokenness. Like a slow motion train-wreck unfolding before our eyes, evil escalates, society’s wrestle under corrupt controlling regimes, smothering compliance threatens freedom, global economic and political tensions increase while wars, violence, cruelty, injustice and unmitigated upheaval runs rampant.
Can we consider anything absolutely trustworthy and true in this conflicted world? What foundation stands solid, as an enduring, unchanging reliable constant that we can confidently base our life on? To our needy generation, Jesus Christ’s words carry piercing relevance.
He claims to be the rock – the king whose kingdom eternally eclipses all others. His words will never pass away, bringing comfort and assurance to countless millions – even in the face of death, they provide perfect peace and perspective.
Jesus described two types of people – a man, hearing and obeying His words was likened to someone building a house on rock. Another man, wise in his own eyes, disregarded Jesus’ words, building on sand. (Life’s) terrible storm beat against both houses – a swelling torrent obliterated the house on sand. The house built on rock stood immovable.
C.S. Lewis, knowing well the line between fact and fiction, wrote… “You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”
Jesus Christ statue. Photo: MART PRODUCTION, pexels.com
