AI as a Tool, Not God: Preserving Our Humanity in the Digital Age
Updated: 3 days ago
Authored by Ayo Olufade, Ph.D.
Today, I was remembering the days I wrestled with early dictation software, specifically Dragon, which my stepfather bought me in graduate school to address a handicap I had. You see, I am a slow writer, and my mind moves much faster than my typing speed. If you think faster than you can physically write or type, can you relate? Those cumbersome early dictation programs tested your endurance. By the time you wrestled with the interface, the brilliant ideas floating in your head had simply vanished.
Today, dictation tools and AI writing partners have removed that friction entirely. In fact, I used Microsoft Office’s dictation tool to transcribe my spoken words into text. Afterward, I used an AI thought partner to remove filler words, organize my thoughts, and refine my writing, ensuring it was professional and polished for LinkedIn and Substack.
Yet, whenever a technological leap as profound as AI occurs, an old anxiety resurfaces: Is this cheating?
Some critics view the use of AI in the writing and thinking process as an abomination. But history shows that progress, such as the printing press, mechanization, and the telephone, is part of human evolution. Our moral agency has always remained vital and central to who we are as human beings; guiding progress responsibly-by emphasizing the importance of human oversight and ethical decision-making-helps us feel empowered and in control of our future. AI can and must be used to boost human creativity and moral values, fostering hope and confidence in our unique human essence.
Redefining Leverage in Education and Creation:
Using AI to augment, leverage, scale, or streamline workflows doesn't dilute human authorship. We shouldn’t be afraid to say so, because AI is here to stay and will become an indelible part of our culture.
Regarding its use in education, adopting a balanced, responsible framework is essential:
Responsible Integration: Promoting the use of AI in education responsibly, such as modeling to explain complex problems science students are trying to solve, vibe coding, and human-in-the-loop design and curation, is essential for fostering modern, ethical learning environments.
Guarding Against Misuse: Conversely, allowing students to use AI inappropriately, such as bypassing critical thinking or outsourcing original problem-solving entirely, undermines true education.
In my own work, whether producing media under STEAM Sparks Stories LLC, editing audio and video for the STEAM Sparks podcast (www.youtube.com/@steam-sparks), or transforming raw thoughts into polished slide decks, AI serves as a supportive tool that enhances our capabilities. It saves time, streamlines workflows, and helps clarify our message without stoking unnecessary controversy.
The Temptation to Deify Technology:
Recently, major religious bodies, including the National Association of Evangelicals, the Presbyterian Church USA at their August summit, and Pope Francis in his May encyclical, Safeguarding the Human Person in the Times of Artificial Intelligence, Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026), have issued policy statements and guidance on AI. At the same time, we see cultural murmurs of people beginning to treat advanced technology with a reverence bordering on worship, which can lead to a distorted view of human uniqueness and should be approached with caution.
This deification, attributing human-like consciousness or moral agency to things we see as supernatural or beyond our immediate understanding, is not entirely new.
Throughout history, humanity has frequently looked at phenomena far beyond its current state, whether ancient misconceptions about visiting travelers or future projections of advanced civilizations, and elevated them to divine status. Recognizing this pattern should encourage society to remain cautious and avoid deifying AI, fostering a more balanced perspective.
We see this in how society celebrates and worships celebrities. How much easier, then, is it to misplace our awe when faced with systems that can process information at scales no single human brain can synthesize?
Intelligence vs. Essence: What Makes Us Human:
AI possesses immense computational power, sophisticated pattern recognition, and an incredible wealth of data. It can augment human capability to extraordinary lengths, helping individuals with brain injuries communicate, restore sight, or solve complex logistical and medical crises.
Yet, storing vast amounts of data and predicting the next word in a sequence is not the same as holding the spark of creation.
The Created vs. The Creator: AI is a creation of human ingenuity. Just as humanity was created with an inner essence and spirit, humans create tools.
The Danger of Subjugation: A human being must never become subject to what they create. Worshipping or absolutizing AI is a total inversion of order.
The Human Spark: Artificial intelligence can model patterns, but it lacks a soul, moral agency, or spiritual consciousness. Recognizing this helps us appreciate what truly makes us human and reinforces our moral sovereignty.
Walking Hand in Hand with Our Tools:
AI and humans can, and should, work side by side to build a better world. This partnership can inspire optimism about our collective future as we use these systems to lift burdens and focus on higher-order creativity, empathy, and community building.
AI is an extraordinary mirror and a brilliant conversational partner, but it remains a tool. By actively supporting human creativity, empathy, and moral decision-making, AI can enhance our capacities without replacing them. Respecting its role while maintaining our moral and spiritual sovereignty ensures technology serves human flourishing rather than diminishing it.
Where do you draw the line between leveraging technology as a cognitive partner and over-offloading our critical thinking? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s keep the dialogue going.
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