This past weekend, I read an opinion piece in a major newspaper from someone who I rarely agree with… to put it mildly… and couldn’t help my amazement.

I was in full agreement with what was written.

Wente espoused the important strides we took in 2017 and how they were grossly overlooked. Mainly, poverty word wide dropped significantly and big steps were made in artificial intelligence.

The advancements in A.I. is an area we are anticipating, but grossly underestimating.

While the industrial era ushered in a time of outsourcing heavy tasks to machines, and then streamlining it, A.I. is a complete overhaul with our own minds. In other words, we will be taken out of our own decision making.

Kasparov has already written about why we shouldn’t fear this new age with the argument it frees us up for more creative thinking. I like to err on the positive side as well even if it means my own profession will be lost along with many others.

What happens, though, when we live in a world where there’s very little for us to do?

We’re already facing this problem with the endless deluge of concern about young people and the addiction to their devices (although I argue this isn’t just limited to a younger generation). It’s the constant checking and endless scrolling for something to assure of us something.

What is that something?

There isn’t a solid answer to that question.

It could be affirmation, belonging, connection, contemplation, thought-provoking, uplifting, motivation, or some kind of meaning to our own existence.

Hmmm… it seems those are all things religion teaches us as well and no, I don’t shy away from the issues religion brings either. However, a good class on Religion can bring a proper awareness that will help an individual navigate their own existential crisis.

It’s a mixture of other disciplines and can’t be met with simple answers.

A student cannot simply go online and read the SparkNotes for the text and regurgitate the answers on a quiz. Nor can they write formulas in clever hiding places to cheat on their Math or Science exam.

While I will always stress the importance of Math and Science to my students, and the need for literacy, they will always hear about the importance of a good Religion class because Religion starts with a lived experience.

That’s something no machine, computer or artificial intelligence can replicate.