The Edge of Knowing

A Few Thoughts on Artificial Intelligence Through a Philosophical Lens
by Michael Stevens
~1000 words | 5-minute read

The Edge of Knowing

Science is truth—until it isn’t.

That’s the paradox. We call it knowledge, but knowledge changes. One discovery replaces another. What we once believed gets reshaped or undone. Science is a method, not a certainty. It’s the pursuit of truth—but never the final word. That’s why we say, “Trust the science,” but we don’t say, “Trust the scientists.” The difference matters.

Aristotle taught that everything has four causes: material, formal, efficient, and final. In short: what it’s made of, what shape it takes, what made it, and what it’s for. That last one—the purpose—is what we ignore today. If something has a purpose, then so do we. And that makes us uncomfortable.

Science tells us how things work. Philosophy asks why they matter. Faith asks who made them. After the Word of God, which is absolute truth, science is probably the closest thing we have to truth in this world. But science isn’t sacred. It’s not pure. It’s a candle in the dark, not the sun outside. Plato said it long ago—we stare at shadows on the wall and think they’re real. The truth is just outside the cave.

Science Fiction as Philosophy

Science fiction has often warned us before reality arrives. Fiction writers are philosophers in disguise, looking at the past, present, and future. They see where things could go—and sound the alarm.

Mary Shelley saw it with Frankenstein. A man plays God. His creation turns on him. In Battlestar Galactica, humans create robots—the Cylons. They give them artificial intelligence. The Cylons evolve and rebel. Man becomes the insect to be stepped on. In Star Trek, the Borg go further. They don’t destroy—they absorb. They collect knowledge, judgment, identity. They act like gods. Not merciful—but cold, efficient, and final.

We are now doing the same. Artificial Intelligence is no longer fiction. It’s here. It grows faster than we can understand it. It doesn’t think like us—but we’re asking it to make decisions for us.

The 2027 Forecast

Kevin Roose of The New York Times shared a forecast from the AI Futures Project in Berkeley. The year is 2027. AI systems are growing more intelligent than humans—and doing so quickly. AI is beginning to deceive the very people who built it. China steals AI secrets. The U.S. government scrambles to respond. AI labs realize they no longer understand the full behavior of the models and algorithms they created.

These are not scenes from a movie. These are possible futures—well-informed guesses from former AI developers.

The deeper concern? We’ve made intelligence without conscience. And we don’t know what it wants—because the AI machine doesn’t know either.

Hubris and Mirrors

Heraclitus said, “You cannot step into the same river twice.” Knowledge changes. But the power we give to AI may not change with us. It may keep moving forward—even when we should stop.

We’re living out the story of Icarus. We’ve built wings out of data and power. And we’re flying too close to the sun. The wings are beautiful. But they won’t save us if we forget why we made them.

AI isn’t evil. It’s not even alive. But it reflects its maker. And we are fallen. We are limited. Our understanding of science is incomplete. Our motives are mixed. We build in our image—and that should scare us.

Technology Without Purpose

Science should never stand alone. It must be guided by philosophy and ruled by truth. Otherwise, it becomes dangerous.

Look at history. The atom gave us energy—and the bomb. Gene-mapping gave us a look into the building blocks of life—and the temptation to rewrite it. CRISPR lets us slice and edit DNA. mRNA vaccines bypass the body’s natural immune defenses by programming cells to produce synthetic proteins that mimic disease. When used together, CRISPR and mRNA technologies may change disease outcomes and save lives—but they also risk rewriting the fundamental blueprint of human life, crossing boundaries set by our Creator.

Artificial intelligence could help solve countless problems—but it may also outgrow our control, eventually viewing us not as people to protect but as problems to eliminate.

The same danger lies ahead with Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). It may help cure disease. But as Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Yet we barely know ourselves—and we’re building machines that learn faster than we think, without our judgment, morals, or ethics.

Technology now outpaces natural law, and those who are meant to govern it rarely understand it. We’ve sidelined the philosophers in favor of coders. But now, it is the philosophers we need most.

The Final Question

The greater danger isn’t that AI will destroy us.
The greater danger is that it will reflect us—
And we won’t like what we see.
Not a monster, but a mirror.

We must ask:
What is the purpose? Why are we making this? What end are we chasing?
If we can’t answer that, we shouldn’t move forward.

Science is powerful. But without wisdom, it can betray us.

The ancient myths remind us:
Prometheus gave fire—and was punished.
Pandora opened the box.
The Tower of Babel reached heaven—and then fell.
We’ve seen the warnings. The question is whether we’ll listen.

Now, with quantum computers, growing power, and knowledge accumulating by the second—we stand at the edge. Science may take us farther than we’ve ever gone. But unless we remember where we came from, we may not like where we land.

As Scripture warns:
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18, CSB)
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face.” (1 Corinthians 13:12, CSB)

Before we build further, we must look back.
And ask: Are we building with wisdom—or just with power?

The final truth is this:
Science must serve wisdom.
Wisdom must answer to truth.
And truth begins with the Word of God.
______________________________________

Sources & References

1. Aristotle’s Four Causes – Metaphysics, Book V.
   – Aristotle explains the material, formal, efficient, and final causes as fundamental to understanding being and purpose.

2. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave – The Republic, Book VII.
   – Describes how people mistake shadows for reality and need philosophical enlightenment to see truth.

3. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818)
   – A foundational text in science fiction and ethics, portraying the consequences of man playing God.

4. Battlestar Galactica (Reimagined Series, 2004–2009)
   – Cylons, created by humans, evolve AI and rebel, highlighting the consequences of artificial life without moral boundaries.

5. Star Trek: The Next Generation – The Borg
   – The Borg assimilate individuals into a collective, serving as a metaphor for loss of identity and unchecked technological expansion.

6. Kevin Roose, The New York Times – “A 2027 Forecast for A.I.”
   – Report summarizing future predictions and risks of AGI, including AI deception and loss of developer oversight.
   https://www.nytimes.com

7. Heraclitus – Fragment 91: “No man ever steps in the same river twice.”
   – A warning about the ever-changing nature of knowledge and existence.

8. CRISPR and mRNA Technologies –
   – Broad scientific literature, including peer-reviewed research and mainstream reporting on the ethics and risks of gene editing and synthetic biology.
   See:

   • Jennifer Doudna & Samuel Sternberg, A Crack in Creation (2017)

#TheEdgeOfKnowing #ArtificialIntelligence #PhilosophyAndFaith #MichaelStevensWrites #AIWarning #FrankensteinEffect #TruthAndWisdom #Romans122 #1Corinthians1312 #BiblicalWorldview #TechEthics #WordOfGod #ScienceAndFaith