As AI Trust Falters, Wisdom Slows Us Down
Public skepticism about artificial intelligence invites a deeper question about discernment and formation.
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2— NLT
A Fortune report says only 26% of Americans view artificial intelligence positively, reflecting broad public skepticism toward the rapidly expanding technology. The report points to Utah’s ouster of Senate leader Stuart Adams over a data center deal as a sign that public anger over AI-related decisions is beginning to carry political consequences.
The backlash suggests a widening gap between institutions moving quickly on AI-related projects and citizens who are not convinced the benefits outweigh the risks or costs.
Public resistance to AI reveals that wisdom is needed most when powerful tools begin to feel inevitable. The striking fact is not only that just 26% of Americans view AI positively. It is that anger over an AI-linked data center deal has become serious enough, according to the report, to cost a legislative leader his position. That contrast matters: leaders and companies may see speed, scale, and opportunity, while many citizens see disruption, uncertainty, and decisions made faster than trust can form.
Romans 12:2 speaks into that pressure with unusual clarity. It does not tell us whether a particular data center should be built, whether every AI tool is harmful, or whether public fear is the same thing as discernment. But it does challenge the assumption that whatever is new, efficient, profitable, or widely adopted should automatically set the pattern for our lives. “Don’t copy” is not a call to panic. It is a call to think differently before imitation becomes habit.
That may be the deeper issue AI is forcing into the open. Technology does not only help us do things; over time, it can train what we notice, what we value, how we work, and how we relate to one another. So before we accept or resist a tool simply because it is impressive or unsettling, we can ask a more faithful question: What kind of people is this forming us to become? Wisdom gives us room to move slower than the trend and steadier than our fear.
Today's Prayer
Lord, give us wisdom in this season of rapid technological change. Help leaders make careful decisions, and help all of us respond with transformed minds rather than fear, pressure, or blind acceptance. Teach us to discern what is good, careful, and humane. Amen.