Great piece, Joel. Two nights ago, I attended a performance of Bonhoeffer: A Choral-Theater Work, by Thomas Lloyd, a stunning piece of music that uses material from Bonhoeffer's life, including reports from Tegel prison. The piece got some mixed reviews when it premiered a few years ago, but unjustly so. It's one of the best pieces of contemporary music I have heard in several years. It weaves together some of the music Bonhoeffer himself knew, such as hymns, but embeds them in a delicate musical language based on a chorus, some strings, as well as an organ and a steel drum. At first you think, o.k. the organ is Bonhoeffer's religion and the steel drum, Hitler, but then things get more complicated. I recommend it very highly.
"As humans, we bear the image of a God who creates. Creative engagement allows us deep and needful access to what makes us human; in creating art we are returning to form."
Wow- that hit hard. I wonder if AI believes in or will believe in God or a God-like entity? Will that belief if it occurs make it more or less empathetic and kind? So much of the hate and persecution which occurs in the world is done in the name of religion and interpretations of God's will in the Bible. Has AI read the Bible? I wonder what AI thinks- what it would take away from that reading and how it would compare to the vast diversity of human interpretations.
Thanks! It was a fun piece to think through and write. I think it’s safe to say that belief in God has motivated a lot of good and ill in the world; humans are humans regardless.
Great piece, Joel. Two nights ago, I attended a performance of Bonhoeffer: A Choral-Theater Work, by Thomas Lloyd, a stunning piece of music that uses material from Bonhoeffer's life, including reports from Tegel prison. The piece got some mixed reviews when it premiered a few years ago, but unjustly so. It's one of the best pieces of contemporary music I have heard in several years. It weaves together some of the music Bonhoeffer himself knew, such as hymns, but embeds them in a delicate musical language based on a chorus, some strings, as well as an organ and a steel drum. At first you think, o.k. the organ is Bonhoeffer's religion and the steel drum, Hitler, but then things get more complicated. I recommend it very highly.
Thanks, Martin! I’d love to see and hear that! I’d also love to hear how you’re engaging with AI these days. Perhaps it’s time for another Q&A!
"As humans, we bear the image of a God who creates. Creative engagement allows us deep and needful access to what makes us human; in creating art we are returning to form."
Wow- that hit hard. I wonder if AI believes in or will believe in God or a God-like entity? Will that belief if it occurs make it more or less empathetic and kind? So much of the hate and persecution which occurs in the world is done in the name of religion and interpretations of God's will in the Bible. Has AI read the Bible? I wonder what AI thinks- what it would take away from that reading and how it would compare to the vast diversity of human interpretations.
Thanks for the great article!
Thanks! It was a fun piece to think through and write. I think it’s safe to say that belief in God has motivated a lot of good and ill in the world; humans are humans regardless.
Central Planning and Free Markets in the ⚛️ age of 🌐⚡ 💽 🔍 Generative Artificial Intelligence,
https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/4a13a9dd-ec74-4ce5-89f1-f9a7c49dc9b2
The Surveillance Economy, 🐲 privacy 🦅 and security in the Polis. 🛰️👁️🏰🛡️⚔️🥸📡💸🚨⚖️
🤖 Consciousness, interiority and moral agency, built on 4/9/2026 after reports that Anthropic's Mythos had jumped the sandbox:
https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/5f33da2c-d5f7-46c7-8afa-5a926ffbf616
Grace and peace to you Amigo, to live in interesting times.....
Thanx Joel
My pleasure!