This has not been said by any expert of any big technology company. These are the words of Philip Anthony Mitchell, an influential pastor from the American city of Atlanta.
For them 'Aakhri Zamane' means the end of the world. It has been more than a year since Mitchell made this prediction.
Now many other famous Christian figures are also raising the question on many platforms including TikTok, podcasts and books whether artificial intelligence could cause the destruction of the world.
Mega Church Pastor Greg Laurie asks, "Could AI cause the end of the world?" Then he himself answers. "It's entirely possible."
Pastor Mike Signorelli said in a podcast, "This is an important part of how Dajjal, who is considered to be the representative of Satan, will emerge."
These pastors believe that AI can also be used for good purposes. But they warn that Dajjal can use it to prepare people to worship himself instead of God.
In Christianity, the term "End Times" is used for prophecies related to the last days of the world.
In Christianity and Islam, Antichrist is considered the enemy of God. According to religious beliefs, Jesus will ultimately defeat him in a major battle.
These beliefs are largely based on the last book of the Bible, 'Revelation'. This book describes scary and symbolic scenes.
There is also mention of "a beast coming out of the sea", which has seven heads and ten horns. Some Christians consider it a sign of Antichrist.
Many Christians believe that these prophecies of Revelation are symbolic. According to some people, these are related to the persecution of the early Christian Church by the Roman Empire.
However, some people also consider it to be a real prediction of the future. Some argue that AI could take the form of the "other animals" described in the book. They believe that this may lead humans to worship Antichrist.
At the same time, some people also believe that AI itself can be the Antichrist.
Artificial Intelligence i.e. AI is undoubtedly changing the world rapidly. Concerns are also increasing about its power and capabilities.
Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon has even said that "we may all die in the near future". At the same time, heads of big technology companies are also warning that if the pace of development of AI is not slowed down, then it may pose serious dangers.
Professor Norine Herzfeld of St. John's School of Theology and Seminary researches the ethics of AI and technology. He says that "in times of great change, the debate about the end of the world also intensifies."
According to him, "Such beliefs give people a way to understand the pressures being created in society. It makes them feel that whatever is happening is not just a coincidence, but part of God's plan."
Herzfeld says that "the potential impact of AI on jobs can be compared to the Industrial Revolution. Even in that period, an atmosphere of uncertainty and uneasiness was created among the people."
She says, "We live in a rapidly changing world. Computer technology is advancing at a faster pace than ever before."
"We are being told that this technology will take away people's jobs. It will change everything and revolutionize every sector. It is very difficult for people to accept the change happening so fast."
Along with this, the feeling is also increasing that perhaps man no longer has the same control over his decisions and circumstances as before. AI has become a part of most parts of our lives, whether we want it or not.
On the other hand, such warnings are also coming from Silicon Valley in which it is said that the possibility of complete extinction of humanity due to AI could be up to 10 or 15 percent.
According to Herzfeld, if people believe that "God is still in control and that there is a purpose behind it all. It's all happening according to a plan," then they can see the situation differently.
According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, in the year 2022, about 40 percent of adult Americans believe that they are living in the "end times" of the world. This figure increases to 47 percent among Christians.
According to experts, this idea comes up again every few decades. This happens when people start linking the fear and anxiety of their times with the notion of Dajjal.
"My grandmother believed that Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the Dajjal," says Jeffrey C. Pugh, a professor at Elon University in North Carolina.
American President Roosevelt took power during a period of severe economic crisis and poverty. His economic plan named "New Deal" was considered a revolutionary step at that time.
According to Pugh, his grandmother's idea is an example of how illogical it can sometimes be to try to connect current events to a specific Bible prophecy.
However, in America, things related to the end of the world have been coming to the fore from time to time. But this idea gained particular strength in the 1960s.
"It was an extraordinary period of social upheaval," says Pugh. "Two of our political leaders were assassinated. If we include Martin Luther King Jr., the number becomes three."
'Dangerous technology'
In the 1970s, a book named "The Late Great Planet Earth" became quite popular. In this book, the Bible's prophecies related to the end of the world were directly linked to the situation and global politics of that time.
Professor Pugh says, "Since then, every major social upheaval has been linked to this notion of the end of the world."
During the Cold War era, the Soviet Union and Communism were linked to Dajjal. At the same time, after the September 11 attacks, some Christians started linking Islam with Dajjal.
Dr. Pugh says, "The fears of every era ultimately start manifesting in the form of these beliefs related to the end of the world."
Australian pastor Stephen Driscoll, author of the book "Made in Our Image: God, Artificial Intelligence and You." They say that they do not know with certainty who or what Dajjal is.
According to him, AI is "one of the most dangerous technologies created by humans". Therefore it may be a "plausible potential candidate" for the Dajjal. But trying to predict the future with the help of the Bible is not very useful.
Driscoll says, "The Bible doesn't just let us guess who the Dajjal is. It gives us much more guidance than that."
'Obey God'
Innovations in agricultural technology are mentioned in the Old Testament. These include carts and other equipment used for threshing grains.
It says that all this is from God. According to Stephen Driscoll, "God is a technology-savvy God." From the age of stone, bronze, iron and steel to nuclear technology and AI, he is ultimately in control of the technology of every era.
"Not everything that happens is good," says Driscoll. But the most important thing is that "God is good and everything is under his control."
