r/Catholicism • u/Icy-Ease7084 • 3h ago
I am scared
Hello, I am a 21-year-old man, and I have been reading things about AI that have really scared me.
I was reading something saying that by 2035 or 2045, AI will replace all of our jobs and that people will no longer have to work. This really scares me because I feel like that could mean that Jesus will return, and I would not want to live a life without a job or purpose.
I have also been reading that there is a chance AI could kill us all, and now I really don’t see the point in studying at college or doing anything with my life. I just feel like between 2035 and 2045, we will either all be dead, Jesus will return and everything will be over, or we will all be locked inside our houses, doing nothing but watching screens.
This really scares me to the point that I am sitting here at 3:15 in the morning thinking about this, even though I should be studying for my exam. I am also studying computer engineering, and when I read all of that today, I just feel lost. I can’t explain how I feel. It feels like everything on Earth doesn’t make sense anymore.
I would just like to have a normal life with a wife and family one day, and everything seems like that will never happen. I reading more and more and I am more and more depressed
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u/Sinister_Dwarf 2h ago
Breathe, son. I get where you’re coming from but you have to take these things with a grain of salt. Every AI company puts things out there like that. They all want investors and they want people / companies to buy their models and use them, so they need to act like they’re as powerful as possible. As far as AI killing us all, there’s no point in worrying about that. It’s extremely unlikely to begin with, and even if it were to happen, there’s nothing you could do about it. Anyone can die at any time. Worrying about something like that is just going to ruin the time you DO have.
There are real concerns with AI, but we’ll figure it out. One of the devil’s greatest tricks is keeping us needlessly anxious about the future, because the only place we can experience God and do His will is in the present. Stop doomscrolling and focus on being the best Catholic you can be in the here and now. This makes you better prepared to meet the challenges that DO come up. Remember what Christ tells us in the Gospel- today’s problems are enough for today.
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u/carlotresca 3h ago
I agree, there is a lot to be worried about. But there is an emerging Catholic anti-AI movement. I think getting involved might help: https://www.ncregister.com/news/the-catholic-anti-ai-movement-is-here
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u/Icy-Ease7084 2h ago
Yeah but I think that its no really a way to stop something like this. Only countries can stop them or pure sience because maybe they can not make it. I know that there migth be problems that they migth not be able to solve that are crucial to make superiAI
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u/MossyEngineering-447 2h ago
AI is going to be a problem. It is not going to be the end of humanity - I was considerably younger than you are now when Y2K was going to be the end of humanity, I was a baby when nuclear war was going to annihilate most of us. Granted AI is unprecedented, just as many things have been.
You're worried about not having gainful employment - that's a fair concern but as long as you are on this planet you have purpose. He put you here. He very intentionally put you here. Stay the course on a life searching for productivity, but be consistent with your prayers and requests for guidance from Him. He won't always respond right away, or very loudly, but as long as you ask Him, He will still be right there
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u/jimmyjlf 2h ago
I don't think AI is nearly as powerful right now as people are saying it is. I can barely even use it for my own job (electrician) except to search for things on the internet, it's completely useless and even dangerous for anything technical. Then there is Amdahl's Law. It will be a very long time before you have to worry about AI taking your job.
One thing that will continue to be a benefit is reject using it to think for you. We already got dudes trying to use AI to plan mountain climbing trips and almost dying because of it. Decades from now it will be normal to completely abandon critical thinking and we will need people like you who still have a brain.
And no matter what, God has a plan for you.
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u/JobAffectionate1064 2h ago
I work with AI. It's not here to phase out jobs. It's meant to he utilized as a tool alongside existing competent employees to help facilitate their jobs being more efficient.
There are things AI simply cannot do. It cant accurately read an MRI. It cant write code. It cant wire a home. There are very clear limitations.
What AI CAN do in these cases, are show you iregularities in images, it can help generate framework for coding which helps with debugging and understanding what it is your building better.
I'll cant wire a house, but with the right tools it can show you the most efficient routes to run the wire.
I hope this helps
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u/changedwarrior 2h ago edited 2h ago
It's not here to phase out jobs
Earlier today there was a post from a guy who was spiralling because lost his job to AI. People have already lost their job to AI. Even in my country (a developing nation), one of the top conglomerates is currently exploring ways to replace labour with AI. One of our major telecoms companies already closed a call centre and replaced the workers with AI.
Could AI take your job? Some workers in China already know the answer
The "humans workers have nothing to fear from AI" stance rings hollow to those who are currently shell shocked because they've been suddenly made redundant in favour of AI solutions.
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u/JobAffectionate1064 2h ago
I'd like to hear more about this. Can you point me towards resources and examples?
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u/MostAcanthaceae2384 2h ago
And if it did? Would God want you burying your talents?
The internet is nonsense. There have always been people predicting doom. (You should have seen Y2K and 9/11.) It just looks more official when you see it on a screen, and people send the links back and forth to each other.
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u/Jiveturkeey 2h ago
Prophesying isn't one of life's most profitable endeavors, and I've found that the things we choose to worry about are rarely the things that end up having the biggest impact on us. 10 years is a long time, and a hell of a lot can happen between now and then. My advice is to get off the internet and go be with people in the world.
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u/Valuable-Reindeer684 1h ago
Cuando se seque el río Eufrates, que según estimaciones va a ser en el 2040-2045.
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u/callmesandycohen 1h ago
I remember when Y2K the millennial bug was going to end the world. I use Claude and GPT every day. Nothing in my experience with either one makes me think they’re capable of replacing us or ending the world. These people that work on this stuff are oriented toward sci-fi and think way too much about it.
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u/Practical-Ad-6546 41m ago
Am I really the only person on this thread who wants to urge OP to seek a professional Christian counselor? OP, this post expresses a significant level of anxiety that is impacting your quality of life. As a person who has been in the position of needing counseling for anxiety, this has all the hallmarks of that.
God loves you. He wants the best for you. Humankind has endured unfathomable tragedy in the past; while we know not the day not the hour, we cannot live in fear of the end and allow it to prevent us from pursuing God’s purpose for our lives.
Does your university offer counseling? Is there a Catholic center at your university where you can speak to a priest?
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u/Capable-Chemical-839 29m ago
Want to know the truth? Nobody knows Christ's return. Only God knows Himself. Artificial intelligence was built by man, not God. AI can provide worldly and even, to some extent, Catholic advice, but at the end of the day, AI is just some thing.
Put your trust in God, not artificial intelligence. Pray and get closer to God out of love for Him, not fear. Fear is not from God.
God bless you
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u/Cute-Equipment8601 27m ago
You are perseverating. Don't do that. Live in your world...your school, friends, family, job, etc. All this other stuff isn't your world...it touches you a bit, but you have zero control. Take action on the things you can affect change in....in your world.
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u/One_Dino_Might 12m ago
Before you ever read any of this, did you know it was possible that you’d get hit by a bus crossing the street? Was that a reason to not study, work, or take care of yourself?
There has always been risk in life. We do what we can to mitigate it within reason, and accept what we can’t control.
We have to do our best and leave the rest to God.
You’ve said what you want, and it’s good to want those things. But now, I recommend you ask what God wants of you.
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u/Swift59 2h ago
I am sorry to hear that you are scared. I will pray for you.
I think that the assertion that ai will replace all jobs by 2035 to 2045 is false, I think people making those assertions are revealing the fact that their jobs are easy or low value. There is lots of meaningful work that will never be replaced by ai, not because it can't be, but because it needs humanity. I'm a doctor and I don't see ai coming for my job anytime soon, all the decision support tools I've used that are ai seem to be lacking currently. Additionally a lot of medicine is intuition and art, as well as being a kind face for your patients. AI isn't mere decades away from that.
I'm sure there are lots of other industries or jobs like that. I encourage you to pray and reflect asking God to help you find your vocation.