Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14

“I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.” vs. 14

Like the book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes is a part of the wisdom literature of the Hebrew people, and its writer, self-described as Koholoth or Teacher, takes on the persona of Solomon, a man described in the first book of Kings as the wisest person in the world. He says that he “applied (his) mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven.” What we have in this book then are his conclusions. It’s a pretty pessimistic picture! All is vanity, a word derived from the Hebrew word for breath. The Teacher intends it as a metaphor for the futility and meaninglessness of life. We wonder what he might think of artificial intelligence, the latest rage to absorb our attention. It too purports to gather all knowledge and then make it accessible in the blink of an eye. We can guess that he would not be much impressed! AI promises the world but delivers confusion, mistruths, and a deep pessimism about the future. What the Teacher presents as his book unfolds is a brutally realistic picture of life in this world, and we see deep truths in his words. Yet he never gives up on God! And neither should we. No matter what AI tells us, however misguided it might be, it can never replace the unsearchable, unconditional love of God. 

Thought for the Day: What is AI doing for me?