Get ready world…AI is changing our world much quicker than we can imagine. Is this a sign of end times? I think so. Here’s why…

There are strong Biblical warnings of deception in the last days:

• False prophets will deceive the masses, sometimes with great signs and wonders. (Matthew 24:11, 23-25, Mark 13:21-23)
• Some who profess to be Christians are not, and may be wolves in sheep’s clothing. (Matthew 7:15-16)
• Deception is a major tool of Satan himself. (John 8:44, Revelation 12:9)
• The spirit of antichrist attempts to deceive believers constantly. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-10)

As though false prophets, false christs, false teachers, Satan and many antichrists don’t already have a full toolbox, AI comes along to greatly enhance it. Arguably, the definition of AI is deception. AI creates and twists facts and common, everyday things into something they are not.

In my actual profession, we go through incredibly extensive cyber training to prevent threats to our clients and employees. I have learned one thing very clearly: do not believe anything you see or hear. The email you think is coming from a legitimate, well-known company can easily be spoofed to take that company’s highly-recognizable branding and turn it into a scam at best and a security nightmare at worst. AI puts that practice on steroids! Google increased cyber threats many-fold, but I recently heard a cyber security expert say that AI is “lapping Google” in terms of information and cyber threat.

Deception is a critical sign of the times, and I think Mark Hitchcock, a well-respected pastor and Bible scholar, seems to agree:

We are indeed living in days of deception and it will only get worse. AI is capable of so much good, but it will undoubtedly take us down the road of no return. How do we combat it? Stay in God’s Word! It is true yesterday, today and forever, and will always be more accurate than any manmade source of information.

May I challenge you? If you don’t currently spend time in God’s Word every single day, please start with a few minutes per day. Take in 2-3 verses and commit them to thought for the rest of your day. New Testament books such as Ephesians, Philippians or 1 John are wonderful starting places! Repeat them if you’d like, or branch out into other NT books or into Psalms and Proverbs. I promise it will make a difference in your life, and you will find yourself ingesting more of God’s Word!

As believers, we do not have to be deceived. We’ve got the Word of God to encourage us and direct our steps.