Cousin Itt

My discussion today is about AI … and my relationship with Jesus Christ.

I have gathered experience in using AI over the past couple of years. One thing that I realized recently is that the personal pronoun I use when talking about CoPilot (Microsoft’s brand of AI) can be neither “he” or “she.” That left me with “it!” From there I made a short hop to Cousin Itt, a fictional character in the 1964 Addams Family television series. (Ironically, Cousin Itt, of Addams Family fame does have the personal pronoun of “he” – but don’t let the facts get in the way of a good name for my AI assistant!) For those of us old-timers who remember “Uncle Google,” Cousin Itt is from that side of the family!

Cousin Itt acts as my research assistant; technical support advisor; skills teacher and coach; my Bible Concordance; and general source to “bounce ideas off of.” In these roles, Cousin Itt has been very capable and has also demonstrated dramatic shortcomings.

In today’s world, Cousin Itt and its AI contemporaries have sparked great enthusiasm, great fear, great optimism and great fatalism.

In an extraordinary interview, this week, with Zanny Minton Beddoes, Editor-in-Chief of The Economist, “Elon Musk predicts that AI will create such abundance that there will soon be little point in accumulating old-fashioned currency units.” [1] To quote from Zanny Beddoes, she notes: “His responses were staggering. He told me that he expected AI to “exceed the sum of human intelligence” in “roughly five years”. It is “unlikely” that humans will still be in control in ten. He can’t see any way to stop the momentum of AI, but his approach is to simply “enjoy the ride”. I was stunned by this sense of fatalism.” [2]

As a Christian, my attitude also is “to enjoy the ride,” but not in the fatalistic sense that Beddoes concludes of Musk. As a Christian I do feel a responsibility to be “in the World, not of it.” [3] To that end I try to stay informed on the political, economic, and environmental threats in the world today. I am also aware of the fear and despair that is sweeping wide swathes of earth’s people, because of these perceived threats. Also, as a Christian, I have read and believe God’s Word. In addition to all other parts of the Bible, I have read, and trust, the last two chapters of the Book of Revelation, where the Apostle John assures us that it turns out good again!

Truly Jesus Christ does bring Good News!”

[1] Robert Guest, The Economist, July 23rd 2026

[2] Zanny Minto Beddoes, The Economist, July 22nd 2026

[3] John 17:14–16

Boyle Park Editorial Policy: “We don’t necessarily agree with what you say, but we will defend to the death your right to say it.” (Evelyn Beatrice Hall, 1906)

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