After 12 or-so years of working in the “news biz,” some days it can be hard to find a happy place.
The 24/7 news cycle of seemingly endless stories about the worst of humanity mixed with the never ending vitriol of social media — working in the media industry can be mentally draining, to say the least.
So Monday morning with little “religious” content available for the Trail Times’ May 23 church page, a random question popped in my head.
“What would happen if I delve into AI for the first time and ask ChatGPT a question about prayer?”
More specifically, into the chatbot’s “How can I help you today?” message box I typed, “How can the power of prayer help ease anxiety in today’s world?”
Needless to say, I was surprised by a lightning speed response titled, “The Power of Prayer.”
Below is what scrolled into my iPad feed in mere seconds.
The Power of Prayer
In the bustling city of Metropolis, where skyscrapers kissed the clouds and the streets hummed with the symphony of urban life, there lived a young woman named Sarah.
Sarah worked in a high-pressure corporate job, where deadlines loomed like storm clouds and expectations weighed heavy on her shoulders.
Sarah had always been a worrier.
She fretted about her performance at work, her relationships, and the uncertainties of the future.
Anxiety became her constant companion, a shadow that trailed her every step.
One particularly stressful day, Sarah found herself on the brink of a panic attack.
Overwhelmed by deadlines and consumed by self-doubt, she retreated to a quiet corner of her office and buried her face in her hands.
Tears welled in her eyes as she felt the suffocating grip of anxiety tightening around her chest.
In that moment of despair, Sarah remembered the advice of her grandmother, who had always found solace in prayer during times of trouble.
With trembling hands, Sarah clasped her grandmother’s old rosary beads and closed her eyes.
She whispered a simple prayer, a plea for strength and peace in the midst of chaos.
As she recited the words, a sense of calm washed over her, like a gentle breeze soothing a storm-tossed sea.
The weight on her chest lifted, and the knots of tension in her stomach began to unravel.
For the first time in what felt like an eternity, Sarah could breathe again.
The worries that had plagued her mind seemed distant, as if held at bay by an unseen force of tranquility.
Emboldened by this newfound sense of peace, Sarah returned to her work with renewed vigor.
Surprisingly, she found that her mind was clearer, her focus sharper.
The tasks that had seemed insurmountable before now appeared manageable, one step at a time.
As the day wore on and the sun dipped below the horizon, Sarah reflected on the power of prayer.
In a world filled with noise and chaos, it was a beacon of hope, a lifeline to hold onto in times of trouble.
Though the challenges of life remained ever-present, she knew that she was not alone.
From that day forward, Sarah made prayer a daily ritual, a moment of quiet reflection amidst the hustle and bustle of city life.
And though anxiety still visited her from time to time, she faced it with a newfound resilience, knowing that with faith and prayer, she could weather any storm that came her way.
^^
Yes, the story flows well. But the words feel generic, somewhat empty, a one-dimensional “story” almost anyone with a grasp of vocabulary could type up — just not in five seconds.
Next, looking for some perspective, I asked reporter Betsy Kline, of the Castlegar News, to read it over.
Betsy, a devout follower of Christ and wife of Pastor Tom Kline of Castlegar Baptist Church, was also a bit surprised by the AI-generated “story.”
“The writing is more descriptive than I would have expected,” she replied. “It sounds like a copy of what someone else would have already said.
“But it does make a good point.”
In her wisdom, she added that perhaps the story needed a meaningful bible verse.
Within a few minutes Betsy provided the following for context, “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
(Philipians 4:6-7)
^^
At first, I was going to trash the “The Power of Prayer,” because I didn’t write it and that inner voice was shouting, “this isn’t your story to tell.”
But I liked the message, simple as it is.
After thinking about it a little more over lunch, I decided to share this 21st century story generated by a chatbot “that uses natural language processing to create humanlike conversational dialogue.”
How?
With help from flesh-and-blood, an actual person of course.
By including Betsy’s thoughtful insight to weave this tale — using words from the oldest book in the world that only a real-life follower of Christ can so freely give — I can share a story about prayer that I didn’t write.
So, in the end, merging artificial intelligence with biblical wisdom written two thousand years ago through a seeker of truth in today’s world, “The Power of Prayer” is worth being told.
Thoughts?