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Good morning. We all know the jokes about the dog who ate the homework. It’s part of the excuses human beings give for the things they have done, or failed to do. The dog did it. My brother did it. It wasn’t my fault. This weekend, a new excuse emerged: AI, artificial intelligence, did it. Where then does responsibility lie? An enterprising German journalist somehow thought it appropriate to get AI to mimic Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher’s voice to produce a ‘first interview’ after the crash that severely injured Schumacher several years ago. AI might have done a good job. But like the proverbial dog, it cannot be held responsible for the moral failure of the human being in charge. The case seems reasonably clear-cut: a human deliberately set out to deceive. But there have been many other instances in recent weeks of AI producing factually incorrect reports, or lies. AI can mimic human behaviour, even in its more sinister traits, like the manipulation of truth. Which isn’t entirely surprising. After all, we, the creators, are making AI in our own image, at least in part. The Christian story is rooted in the idea of God making humanity in God’s image: with the capacity to know right from wrong, with a conscience, the ability to love, and freewill. This is risky business, according to the Bible: human beings have taken that freedom, and not always used it well. The story is a trope in popular fiction and film – human beings taking risks in creating something a little like them, which then, like Frankenstein’s monster, runs amok. French philosopher Voltaire, with characteristic wit, took it one step further, and argued, ‘God made man in his image, and man returned the favour’. Voltaire wasn’t arguing that human beings could change God, but that the God they started making for themselves and used to justify their actions, differed from who God really was, and became harnessed to human violence, fear, and oppression. The Christian narrative counters these distortions with a God who – through Jesus Christ – invites humanity into a relationship with him and one another centred on forgiveness, love and justice. But humans are not God, and are easily swayed. If we have made AI in our image, and AI starts to return the favour, how do we counter distortions of our humanity, and not let it change us in destructive ways? What stories do we need to tell, what values and behaviours do we need to nurture to ensure that the heart of our humanity is preserved? For me, the Jesus story, with its focus on relationships and wholeness, wouldn’t be a bad place to start.