Could We Use AI to Communicate with Aliens?

God has designed a wide variety of ways for his creatures to communicate—from chemical signals to songs to colors to light displays to words. So scientists are studying how one mammal—the dolphin—communicates, and they are attempting to use artificial intelligence to decipher what the dolphins are “saying” to each other. Some scientists believe similar technology could be used to decode messages from a faraway civilization . . . assuming we received such a message from these non-existent aliens.

On a weekly basis, we read articles about aliens, alien research, the search for aliens, and speculations about what will or won’t happen if we do contact aliens. And yet aliens remain utterly elusive. So why does the hype continue unabated (with large research grants still flowing in that direction)? Well, the article on dolphin and alien communication answers the why:

If . . . [aliens] send something mathematical just as a signal to us that they are there and we are not alone, then we won’t have to worry about deciphering it.

All these scientists want is a message from outer space—even if it’s just a mathematical formula—so we can know “we are not alone.” Ultimately that’s why these naturalistic scientists care so much. They desperately want to believe we’re not alone on our planet and that there’s “something else” out there. God has made it evident to all that he is the Creator, but because of man’s sinful nature, man would rather believe in aliens than the Creator God.

We are not alone because the eternal God of the universe exists, and he did more than just beam down a mathematical formula for us to know that he’s “out there.”

But the hope of these scientists’ hearts is already answered: we are not alone—and we don’t need a message from non-existent aliens to prove it. We are not alone because the eternal God of the universe exists and he did more than just beam down a mathematical formula for us to know that he’s “out there” (though he is the one who created mathematics, made our formulas possible, and even built it into creation!).

God communicated to humanity right from the very beginning by speaking to Adam and Eve and giving them a beautiful world that still today declares his existence (Romans 1:20). But when our perfect relationship with God was severed by our rebellion, he spoke to us through his prophets and made sure that his message was preserved in his perfect Word. And, in fulfillment of his promises, he himself came to earth and lived among us, eventually dying in our place to pay the penalty for our sin and then rising again to offer eternal life with him to all who believe in him.

Studying dolphin chirps, squeaks, and clicks may help us better understand God’s incredible design, but it won’t get us any closer to deciphering alien communication, because we won’t ever receive any. But that doesn’t mean we’re alone. If we want communication with someone outside of us and this broken world, we don’t need to look any further than the Word of God and his Son, Jesus.

Get More Answers on Answers News

This item was discussed Monday on Answers News with cohosts Bryan Osborne, Dr. Jennifer Rivera, and Rob Webb. Answers News is our weekly news program filmed live before a studio audience here at the Creation Museum, broadcast on our Answers in Genesis YouTube channel, and posted to Answers TV. We also covered the following topics:

• Abortion scheduled without the mother’s consent?
• Another study overturns what was thought about evolution.
• Kids in California celebrate “National Coming Out Week” in school.
• And more!

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Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.