Powerful Real-time Language Translation and Caption Driven by LLM - Modern Tower of Babel?

"The Tower of Babel" as generated by AI using traditional languages as decoration

The real-time multi-language translation and transcription abilities of LLM are among the top features we can use in the church today, as indicated by surveys and interactions with church members.

Disclaimer: This is officially my first post on this blog, please lower your expectations starting now...

Since 2022, shortly after COVID-19, I started teaching adjunct classes at Singapore Bible College and sharing with churches on "Technology and Ministry". One of the common questions I often received was, "What are the practical technological tools that can be used for mission and evangelism?". And one of the answers is real-time translation and transcription.

Real-time Multi-language Translation and Transcription

The power of translation is driven by the rapid development of Large Language Models (LLMs). Like it or not, it is going to stay and will eventually find its way to every aspect of our lives. Christians should remain alert to AI's development, use it where appropriate, and be wary of the hidden pitfalls, ethical issues and theological concerns. It is a powerful tool already included in the Zoom AI Companion and many other platforms, as well as in professional paid translation tools such as Interprefy.

Like all AI tools, it makes mistakes, so it is not ready to be used in a combined service or an important evangelism event. However, it could still be used in less formal events when instant and brief translations are needed or when the translation is a supplement for those unfamiliar with the spoken language. We could also consider deploying a facilitator to monitor the translation for errors. Talking about translation reminded me of the Tower of Babel in the Bible.

The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9)

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016).

Pieter Bruegel the Elder - The Tower of Babel Vienna - Google Art Project

The people had one language and wanted to make a name for themselves; they thought they could reach God by building a tower with their strength and technology in making bricks. It was a sinful pride to think humans can be self-sufficient irrespective of God. We see the same sinful pride of self-sufficiency without recognising God in the modern days, where groups of people worship man-made AI and technology as their gods, and see it as a form of sustaining life after death by storing their thoughts and experiences in AI-driven storage, where a conversation with the dead can take place, long after the person is gone. "Way of the Future", a religion created in 2015 by a former Google AI engineer, Anthony Levandowski, worships AI as its deity. By the time the church ended, it had a church fund of $175k; members are devoted both in their faith and tithings.

God created man in God's image, so man likes to create, make Technology and AI, and be used to serve God

There is a great difference between worshipping God with the help of AI, versus worshipping AI.

If God is the center of our life, technology is a great gift. If technology is our saviour, we are lost. John Piper

So, let us place AI and technology in their rightful place when using them in church and ministry. Remember that they are tools to help us serve God, and constantly remind ourselves that the tool is not what we worship.