Genesis 11:1-9 and Technological Self-Totalization: A Theological Critique of Uncontrolled AI Ambition

Abstrak

The uncontrolled development of Artificial Intelligence raises fundamental questions about human limits and divine sovereignty. This article analyzes the Tower of Babel narrative in Genesis 11:1-9 as a theological critique of uncontrolled AI ambition. Using a historical-grammatical exegetical method with attention to the Hebrew text, this study identifies four patterns of human ambition that parallel contemporary AI development, namely autonomy from God, centralized control, technological self-totalization, and self-glorification. The findings show that God's intervention at Babel was not merely punitive but redemptive, establishing limits that preserve authentic human flourishing. The article argues that the crisis posed by AI is not merely ethical but spiritual, touching the core of what it means to be human before God. The theological and pastoral implications include recovering a theology of limits, cultivating humility, replacing fear with trust, embracing diversity, and living with creaturely dependence on God. This study contributes to the development of an Evangelical theological response to AI that is attentive to the Asian context.