“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”

Albert Einstein

Technology is amoral, that means it is neither good nor evil. It is a tool that is created by humans, for humans. But there are times when new technology, like a powersaw in the hands of a three-year-old, wields a danger that is almost impossible to control. If it is not handled with maturity and care, the potential for human carnage to be left in its wake can be quite considerable.

And if a said technology is commandeered by a soulless agent, major carnage is inevitable.

We have had many examples of this in the last 100 years:  Zyclon B, blitzkrieg warfare, atomic weapons, chlorine chemical bombs, and most recently the synthetic drug cocktail known as ‘gray death’ which is a deadly mix of heroin, U4 (Pink), and Fentanyl. All of these products are manmade tools used specifically for human extinction.

But some other technologies are not so obvious, they are meant to slowly and subtly erode the fabric of society and the sanity of people. They are used to obfuscate and subterfuge, deceive and pervert. And if they are harnassed by a malevolent agency, destruction is certain.

One such technology that is soon to be making headlines is termed “deep fakes.” What is a “deep fake” you might wonder? Well, it is a technology that has been around for a while, but over the past few decades it has been honed to almost perfection, and it is designed to make lying into an art form. Lindsay Marchello, a young tech trend watcher, defines the new technology like this, “Deep fakes are manipulated videos that can produce fake, hyper-realistic images and audio of people, that are almost impossible to tell apart from reality.” In other words, it is a way both mainstream and social media outlets can cut and edit video footage that can quite literally put words into people’s mouths.

This technology can reverse and twist reality where the perpetrator becomes the victim and the victim becomes the perpetrator. A President or Congressman can be made to say something he or she never said. An innocent bystander can be made to look like a guilty criminal. With a few tricks of digital editing, using calibrated vocals to match the movement of the lips, you can make someone say something they would never say and send it viral in a matter of minutes. And in our outcry society, any tampered bit of digital video will be more than enough evidence to ruin a life or destroy a career.

Electronic Frontier Foundation civil liberties director David Greene wrote, “existing laws do protect individuals whose image is used in a deep fake…but the technology to create these falsified videos is legal, and given enough time and effort just about anyone could create a deep fake and send it out into the digital sea.” Big Brother is now both a producer and editor, equipped with the best image-making technology at their disposal.

Lindsey Marchello continues, “The problem lies mainly in the people who aren’t interested in whether the video is real or not. What really matters to these folks is whether the video confirms a preconceived belief they hold…Seeing used to be believing, but in the age of social media and deep fakes, that time is coming to an end.”

For Christians, this should not be suprising, the world has always been built on deception. As scripture says in 1 Samuel 16:7, “The Lord sees not as a man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

Humans are easy to manipulate, we always have been. Eve saw the fruit in the garden and said it was good, the Israelites saw King Saul and said he was the perfect candidate for King, and Satan often appears as an angel of light. He knows we are suckers for a good show! But when Jesus came Isaiah said, “he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.”

Humanity’s problem is that we jump to conclusions before examining the facts. To us beauty has become more than skin deep, it is now the way we determine worth, value, and truth. If you take a gorgeous picture on the beach with your spouse, your marriage is amazing. If you post a green bean salad that looks better than Betty Crocker’s recipe book, you must be the perfect mom. I may not know how to talk deeply with people or spend time with the lonely, hurting and sad, but if I take a great selfie with a perfect background to match my outfit God has to be pleased with me. And if you really want to worship God, go to a Christian concert with fog lights and pretty young singers whose voices make you cry and drummers with dreads, and you will be convinced you have just joined the angelic throng in heaven.

Lights, cameras, worship!

Now in everyday life, video clips and youtube soundbites drive the news cycle. And a future filled with deep fakes is looming on the not too distant horizon threatening to destroy honest men and women who find themselves on the wrong side of the media’s agenda. People are now ripe for the picking.

How do you personally assess the world? Are you quick to jump to conclusions? Do you look for news that already supports your conclusions, or do you dig deeper by weighing facts and listening to reason and arguments? How do you assess truth, by what makes you feel good, or what matches with scripture?

Never forget in Acts 17:11 the writer commends a group of people called the Bereans. And here is the reason why, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” The Bereans were not easy to deceive because they were grounded on solid truth.

Are you?