Let Jesus be your fact checker
It is challenging to distinguish between truth and untruth in our broken world.
Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:31-32
Do you feel like it is increasingly difficult to determine what is real and what is unreal? I do.
Do you feel like the fact checkers are biased, either politically or monetarily? Sometimes both, right?
What about the fact checkers that aren’t even human beings? We are in some cases being told what is right or wrong by artificial intelligence (AI).
Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.
The startling statement above was issued by the Center for Artificial Intelligence, a non-profit organization that says in its mission statement that it “exists to ensure the safe development and deployment of AI.”
The following four paragraphs are from the May 2023 issue of The American Legion Magazine:
Over the past decade, Finland has integrated media literacy into its core curriculum, teaching students how to check news stories for falsehoods, how to think about whether they’re being manipulated by algorithms or emotional appeals, and how to spot “deepfakes”—heavily manipulated audio or video recordings.
There’s a lot less media-literacy instruction in the United States. A poll last year found that a majority of adults were not taught how to analyze stories for credibility or bias. Eighteen states have passed legislation promoting media literacy in schools, but only three states require it (Delaware, New Jersey and Texas). “Young people’s ability to reason about the information on the internet can be summed up in one word: bleak,” concluded a Stanford University study.
When you come across a news story or social media post that sounds far-fetched, ask yourself whether it sounds credible or even likely. What is the source of the information? Does the person or organization promoting it likely have a bias? Are they trying to sell you something, even if it’s only an idea? Remain skeptical.
If something sounds either super-appealing or highly unlikely, it just might be wrong. “We should be more open to the fact that we are being manipulated by anyone and everyone,” says Andrew Selepak, who teaches media at the University of Florida.
Be cautious of everything you see on social media, especially as we get closer to America’s general election this November. It’s only a matter of time before the next AI-generated photo, video, or audio, goes viral. Sadly, it now takes a considerable amount of time to determine for ourselves whether anything we hear or see is reality, and most of us don’t have the time for a deep analysis, due to a paralyzing amount of distractions. And distraction is anything that pulls our attention away from God.
How about instead of letting biased humans—or AI—tell us what is fact or fiction, we start (or continue) leaning heavily on Jesus and the Bible for what is right and wrong?
Lean on God’s Word and His strength—not some celebrity with a reality TV show—to help you rein in stress and repair emotional wounds.
Instead of falling for what a biased politician or media outlet tells us, let us fall into God’s open arms.
It is likely that you live in realm of the unreal if regular daily worship of Jesus is not part of your life. Jesus brings real sight.
—Faith