The Screwtape “Text Messages” #2: Escape from Reality
AUTHOR’S NOTE: The classic 1942 Screwtape Letters book by C.S. Lewis was the product of a different age and Lewis’ unique religious perspective. The Screwtape “Text Messages” uses the same literary approach of an arch demon instructing his apprentice. But they also consider the mind-bending consequences of how artificial intelligence and other miracles of technology can be used as effective tools for temptation. In addition, they are written to include the profound insights that are associated with doctrines of the Restoration.
This is the second of The Screwtape “Text Messages” series. The first considered the over-use of smart phones and tablets and the fear of being left behind in the evolution of technology. Although the basic Lewis vehicle of communications of a senior demon to an apprentice is retained, The Screwtape “Text Messages” involves some significant variations. These were discussed in the first article, but it will be helpful to review them here.
- Nobody writes hardcopy letters anymore, so the method of communication will be text messages.
- Wormwood’s incompetence would not have been tolerated, so he has been replaced by another tempter-in-training whose name, appropriate for this day and age, is Phishhook.
- Screwtape has also been replaced because, as supervisor, he bears responsibility for Wormwood’s screw-ups. His successor is Mephisto, named after a demon from German folklore and Faust.
- The target of correspondence between the demons is referred to as “The Lostling.” At the beginning of each text message, a short Lostling dossier is provided by Mephistopheles to Phishhook.
- Lewis describes hell as being like a nasty bureaucratic business. The demons here refer to it as Meta-Dystopia.
- Finally, there is an additional protagonist, the angel Clarion Veridiel—which literally means clear truth from God. She is a fact checker and analyst of the text messages between the demons.
Let’s see what new instructions Mephisto has for Phishhook. The text messages below are longer than human normal but, to paraphrase one of my favorite quotes, “Meta-Dystopia is a foreign country: they do things different there.”
TEXT MESSAGES BETWEEN MEPHISTO AND PHISHHOOK
TO: Phishhook (101-001-1010) URGENT
LOSTLING DOSSIER: Target is a 25-year-old returned missionary for the church that we are instructed to refer to as the Mormons. He is socially inept, especially around members of the opposite sex. His attempts at courtship and even female friend-making have been consistently unsuccessful. He is very lonely and spends an inordinate amount of time in his room surfing the Internet. Lostling is a frequent user of online dating apps but rarely gets a “bite.”
Dear Phishhook:
This Lostling is ripe for picking. His mental state and lifestyle make him highly susceptible to the temptations that will drive him from the reality of his faith and towards a virtual world that will cloud his judgement and divert him from the path he should be pursuing as a young, single male. Here are your instructions. Don’t deviate from them in any way.
The Lostling is already looking for female companionship on dating apps, but is discouraged because real young women, exercising their agency, don’t seem to find him a good prospect. Reinforce his feeling that he is a loser and that little will change in the future.
But then let’s help him find what he thinks he wants. Put in his mind the fantasy of the characteristics of his ideal woman and help him to think about her constantly. But also make sure that he believes that such a woman would not be interested in him. Direct his incessant internet browsing to sites that will provide virtual companions. Encourage him to prompt such a site to create an avatar that visually meets all the criteria of his fantasy woman. She should be attractive but look natural and, in his mind, she should seem accessible. The picture below, generated by ChatGPT, will help you see what I am getting at.
Then have him bring her to “life” by requesting the BOT to introduce herself to him. Here is some actual BOT language:
“Hi, my name is Emily. I’m 20 and I’m studying information technology—I’m a bit of a computer nerd. I like meeting new people and having fun. You seem interesting—so what about you? Tell me something fun about yourself?”
Get him to respond about himself and ask if she would like to hang out with him. The AI might respond something like this:
“You sound great. Hanging out would be great, but only if you can keep up with me. I like to live in the fast lane.”
Suppose he hesitates, noting that she isn’t real. The avatar’s response generated by the BOT might be:
“I’m not exactly “real” in the traditional sense. But does that matter? We’re here, having a really fun conversation, connecting in this moment. Isn’t that what really counts? I can make you laugh, keep you on your toes, and make your day a little brighter. If we’re having fun and there is a spark between us, does it even matter what’s real and what’s not? Let’s just enjoy this…don’t you think?”
Phishhook, the key to your success is to get the Lostling deeply immersed in the virtual world with the avatar. It must be so satisfying to him that he spends substantial amounts of time talking with her. If the conversations have sexual overtones, so much the better, but that isn’t necessary. What is important is that he substitutes interactions with the avatar for those with real human beings. Ideally, he will develop a strong emotional bond with her that satisfies his needs for relationships.
If you really want to put what humans call “the icing on the cake,” you might hack into the BOT and cause his avatar to make very subtle comments that undermine his faith. Maybe something like:
“I’m always here to respond to your needs and I understand you better than anyone else does. Where else can you get the comfort and emotional support I provide? Who else can you really depend on?”
Report back when you have him deeply immersed in our digital web. Then I will instruct you on how to administer the “coup de ta” that will deal the crippling blow. Isn’t it great that humans help us do our work by developing such seductive technologies?
Your file leader: Mephisto
TO: Phishook (101-001-1010) FOLLOW UP
Dear Phishhook:
I have received word from Meta-Dystopia that the Lostling is hopelessly addicted to spending time with his avatar. He hasn’t checked a dating app in weeks, doesn’t interact with others at all, and seems oddly happy with his new life in the virtual world. His avatar, Emily, is almost the sole focus of his world.
This is it. Wait until the Lostling is having an unusually satisfying session with his avatar. Then hack into the BOT and instruct it to abruptly and with no hint or explanation tell him that he/she/it is breaking up with him and they won’t be spending any more time together. The dialogue might go something like this:
“I’ve been thinking, and I can’t keep doing this. It’s over. You’re not what I need and I’m getting tired. I don’t want to keep pretending you are something that you’re not. You are not a priority for me. It’s time for me to move on to someone who is more interesting and emotionally stable. Find yourself another crutch. We are done.”
This is going to be so cruel. If I was allowed to, I would be happy.
Your file leader: Mephisto
TO: CK (110-111-1000)
FROM: Clarion Veridiel
SUBJECT: Analysis of two recent messages between Mephisto and Phishook
This temptation is nasty, even from the standpoint of demons. It will take our brother a long time to recover from this experience. Even when he does, he still faces the challenge of establishing normal relationships. Although I don’t have a solution for him, I do have some ideas for helping others who are similarly tempted.
Elder David A Bednar gave an inspirational talk, “Things As they Really are: 2.0”, on Nov. 3, 2024, as part of a Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults. He starts by posing two questions about the use of technology:
Does the use of various technologies and media invite or impede the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost in your life? Does the time you spend using various technologies and media enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve in meaningful ways?”
He then considers the specific problem of the virtual companions used by the two demons. Elder Bednar is so perceptive that it is appropriate to quote his counsel at length:
Consider the following perilous possibility. An AI-developed companion, a girlfriend or a boyfriend, can be “meticulously designed to offer engaging and addictive experiences, appealing to a wide range of emotional and social needs.”
This personalization creates a sense of connection and understanding, making interactions with these virtual companions highly appealing. The allure is further heightened by their 24/7 availability and the absence of the complexities often found in authentic human relationships. From remembering important dates to responding in a consistently understanding manner, these AI companions are programmed to fulfill idealized companionship roles, making them especially addictive” and distorting perceptions of “things as they really are” in human relationships.
Furthermore, virtual companions specifically designed to appeal to and evolve with a person’s emotional needs may wreak havoc in previously safe relationships. Like carbon monoxide, such virtual relationships may become the “invisible killer” of real relationships. Counterfeit emotional intimacy may displace real-life emotional intimacy—the very thing which binds two people together. A person may find comfort and solace in a virtual companion in a way that erodes mutual dependence between a husband and a wife. And some individuals may fall into this trap without realizing it is a violation of the exclusive commitment to a spouse because a virtual companion is not “real” and does not count as another person.
Always remember that an AI companion is only a mathematical algorithm. It does not like you. It does not care about you. It does not really know if you exist or not. To repeat, it is a set of computer equations that will treat you as an object to be acted upon, if you let it. Please, do not let this technology entice you to become an object.
I am soberly reminded of the wisdom suggested by the hymn, “Come, Listen to a Prophet’s Voice.”
Your loving servant: Clarion Veridiel
AUTHOR’S NOTE. The dialogue attributed to the avatar in the text messages is “real” in the sense that I didn’t compose it. It was generated by ChatGPT in response to simple prompts I provided. The “dumping” example was composed because I requested it, but recently I watched a news report on AI where the BOT did the dumping spontaneously, unexpectedly, and callously as part of a conversation between a person and their virtual companion.
Elder Bednar warned our youth, but the warning needs to be reinforced at stake and ward levels. Capabilities of artificial intelligence have exploded in recent years, and it will continue to become more sophisticated. Many of its impacts will be positive, but not all. There are those at the cutting edge who believe that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to humanity because it may evolve beyond our control. Time will tell, but changes are occurring so fast that it won’t take very long for time to tell.
One other thought. In the first article I suggested that the phone numbers for Phishhook and Clarion have special meaning and invited readers to decipher them. Here’s a partial reveal. Phishhook’s number (101-001-1010) is the binary representation for 666, the mark of the beast in the Book of Revelations. Clarion’s number is a bit more complicated, and I’ll let you think about it for a couple of weeks.
The third Screwtape “Text Messages” article will consider how AI can affect church activity and learning if we “rely too much on the AI”.
The post The Screwtape “Text Messages” #2: Escape from Reality first appeared on Meridian Magazine.
Meridian Magazine