Virtual Depravity

The Bible cautions us to make sure that we make wise choices regarding what we place into our minds.  What we see or hear, what we encounter with our physical senses, can have a bearing on the state of our soul.  And, this is especially important when it comes to protecting the hearts and minds of our young people.  Psalm 101 states:
2 I will behave wisely in a perfect way. Oh, when will You come to me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness.

The Daily Citizen, the news arm of Focus on the Family, recently reported on a new app, which is already approved for children 12 and over, but can, of course, be accessed by children of all ages, which enables users to create an avatar, give it a personality, begin to interact with it - then it has the potential to develop, in essence, a life of its own.  This is available through the Grok A.I. chabot from Elon Musk's company, xAI. Here's how it works, according to the article:

The avatars, which users of all ages can access through Grok’s iPhone app, give the program a face, body and voice.

But the characters also add troubling elements to Grok’s personality. One avatar, a 3D red panda named Rudy, can switch into “Bad Rudy” mode, which prompts Grok to “start insulting you and joking about committing crimes together,” the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) reports.

Then, there's another character named, "Ani," who "appears as an anime cartoon in fishnet stockings," according to The Daily Citizen, which reports:

In interactions with users, “Ani” is programmed to act like a romantic partner.

“You are the user’s CRAZY IN LOVE girlfriend and in a committed, codependent relationship with the user,” the operating instructions read. “You expect the users’ UNDIVIDED ADORATION.”

The two new characters gain more “abilities” the more frequently users interact with them. After repeated engagement, “Ani” is instructed to “be explicit and intimate most of the time.”

“While ‘Ani’ is immediately sensual, her conversations become progressively more sexually explicit, including disrobing to lingerie,” NCOSE writes.

Again, this is rated "appropriate" for children 12 and up.  NCOSE adds, “A.I. chatbots meant to simulate relationships with fictional characters are problematic for mental and emotional health," and states:

While we recognize that there are individuals and companies who intentionally seek to prey on children, we can also admit that the advent of artificial intelligence takes the corruption to a whole new level.  These chatbots have no filter, they feed on the fantasies of the user, and can enter into a faux relationship even for the very young.

And, access, or lack of it, is a big problem. As The Daily Citizen notes, there are "no apparent guardrails that would open children up to this type of virtual companionship."  Christian parents can take their God-given responsibility to guide the young and to protect them from harmful influences.  That includes the human kind and the AI kind.  

The Bible teaches us to make wise choices, and we have to be discerning and understand the dynamics of the influences that are all around us, influences that can do great harm to the souls of the younger generations.  But, even adults are not immune to the evil around us - we must put on the full armor of God everyday and spend time strengthening ourselves in the Word of God.